proteus236

What would happen if the randomness and excitement of ARPG loot drops collided with the depth and strategy of competitive card games like Magic: the gathering or Yu-Gi-Oh?

This question became the foundation of everything.

At its core, Duelo is an experiment.

I'm blending two very different design philosophies:

Strategic, skill-based card gameplay (inspired by classic TCGs)
Unpredictable, high-stakes loot systems (inspired by ARPGs)

The result?

A Roguelite Card-Looter where your deck isn’t just built… it evolves, mutates, and sometimes even betrays you.

The ARPG Soul: Loot, But It’s Your Cards

In most card games, progression is predictable: You unlock cards → you build a deck → you optimize.

Duelo flipped that idea.

Instead of farming items… you farm card transformations.

Every card in your deck can be permanently corrupted, gaining:

New keywords and mechanics
Increased power, range, or multi-hit potential
Chain effects or unexpected interactions
Risky downsides that can completely change your strategy

Each corruption works like a loot drop roll.

You might create a game-breaking combo… Or a card that’s too dangerous to use.

Strategy Still Comes First

Even with all this randomness, Duelo is not chaos.

Combat is deeply tactical:

Your hero is always on the battlefield
You summon, attack, defend, and position units
Every turn demands timing, resource management, and adaptation

This isn’t just about drawing the right card — It’s about making the right decision under constantly changing conditions.

A Run That Shapes You Back

Every run in Duelo is a journey through a branching map full of unpredictable encounters.

But here’s the twist:

Encounters themselves can mutate.

Enemies gain unexpected modifiers
Rules change mid-run
Familiar fights become completely different challenges

You’ll constantly face meaningful decisions:

Do you take the safe path and preserve your deck?
Or chase high-risk nodes for powerful corruptions?

A Card-Looter, Not a Deckbuilder

One of the biggest shifts in Duelo is how progression is treated:

Cards you earn go into your collection, not directly into your deck
Your deck is something you craft between runs, not during them

This creates a hybrid system where:

Runs are about mutation and survival
Meta-progression is about strategy and mastery

Building on the Duelo Universe

The version of Duelo you’re seeing here is part of something bigger.

The artwork currently used in the game comes from the physical card game, which was independently published in Peru. This videogame is a new product within the Duelo universe (which also includes a comic).

Because of that, you might notice a mix of styles or incomplete visuals — and that’s intentional (for now).

Much of the current art is being used as placeholder
New illustrations are actively being developed to match the evolving vision of the game
The goal is to unify everything under a stronger, more cohesive visual identity

This means you’re not just watching a game being built — you’re watching an entire IP grow and evolve across multiple formats.

What can you find in this Alpha?

This early version of Duelo already includes a solid slice of the core experience:

A 6-floor map to progress through
6 different types of encounters across the map
46 different base cards/items to unlock
Thousands of possible permutations for each card thanks to the corruption system
And when you finally defeat the final boss... Well, that’s something you’ll have to discover for yourself.

What do you think about this experiment?

Duelo is being built with experimentation at its core — and your feedback is part of that process. If you think this concept is interesting, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

- Eduardo M.

Link to the Alpha: https://proteus236.itch.io/duelo

itch.io Community » General » Release Announcements · Created a new topic Card Game meets ARPG Loot - Duelo has finally launched it's Alpha version

proteus2361 day ago

Link to the game: Duelo

What if your deck didn’t just get stronger… but mutated like loot in an ARPG?

That’s the core idea behind Duelo, a new experimental roguelite that blends:

Tactical card combat inspired by Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh!
Loot-driven progression inspired by ARPGs like Diablo

And today…
the Alpha is finally live.

A Different Kind of Card Game

In most card games, you build your deck, optimize it, and play.

Duelo breaks that loop.

Here, your cards are not static. They can be corrupted — permanently transformed through a loot-like system that can:

Add new mechanics and keywords
Turn single attacks into multi-hit combos
Create unexpected chain effects
Introduce powerful… but dangerous drawbacks

Every corruption is a roll.

You might create something broken.
Or something that ruins your entire strategy.

Not Just RNG — Skill Still Matters

Despite the chaos, Duelo is deeply strategic:

Your hero is always on the battlefield
Positioning and timing are key
Every turn forces meaningful decisions

This is not about luck.

It’s about adapting when your own deck becomes unpredictable.

A Roguelite Run That Fights Back

Each run takes you through a branching map filled with evolving encounters:

Enemies gain modifiers
Rules can change mid-run
Familiar fights become new challenges

Do you play it safe…
or chase powerful (and risky) corruptions?

What You Can Find in This Alpha?

A 6-floor map
6 different encounter types
46 base cards/items to unlock
Thousands of possible card permutations through corruption
And when you defeat the final boss… Well, you’ll have to see that for yourself.

Link to the game: Duelo

Duelo community · Posted in How far can corruption reshape a run?

proteus2361 day ago

Hi Danilo!

Thanks for playing Duelo. Right now I feel that the amount of ramdomness is on a sweet point. It encourages you into spending some currency until you get a good roll and also explore the most of the map until you unlock a card/item that has the base comibation of stats that you need.

Stats on a base item doesn't change when corrupting, only can increment. So if you want to make a build that works around Absorb Damage, you can choose the path of unlocking all items/cards that grants you Absorb and increase their rank, or pick other items/cards and corrupt them until the get the Absrob stat.

In this alpha version there is only a little amount of cards and stat combination. On the full game there will be cards/items for every kind of player.

Return into the Abyss community · Posted in Game Feedback

proteus236171 days ago

Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to write such thoughtful feedback, this is incredibly helpful!

You’ve touched on a few points that really resonate with me, especially the part about the “limbo” between real-time and turn-based. The current system is indeed limited to one action at a time, but I’m experimenting with ways to make combos or queued actions possible, so your suggestion lines up perfectly with where I want to take it next.

The confusion with targeting and card resolution (like buffs/debuffs applying to the wrong unit) is also something I plan to clarify with better UI indicators and tooltips. You’re right that in a fast-paced game, the player shouldn’t have to guess what will happen when they cast.

Your thoughts on pacing are super valuable too — balancing tension without frustration is tricky, and your perspective helps me see where it currently leans too far.

I'm also planning on redesign and make a complete overhaul of the tutorial.

Thanks again for sharing such detailed impressions.