Manticore is a card game that unfolds on a grid-based playing field. Players interact with three distinct card types: Heroes, Minions, and Spells. The overarching objective of the game varies depending on the level rules, for example to either vanquish all adversary Heroes or eliminate their Minions as well to secure victory.



Spell Caster Cards
Some character cards possess the ability to acquire and employ spell cards. Spell casters are endowed with mana, which rejuvenates with each passing round. By traversing over a spell card, its nature is unveiled and it can be collected for future use.



Additionally, positioning oneself next to a deck of cards grants the opportunity to acquire additional cards each turn. However, caution is advised. If the deck is neutral, it is susceptible to being accessed by any spell-collecting adversary as well. Will you eliminate the deck or try to secure the deck for yourself?



Merge and Match-3 Mechanics
Integrates both Match-3 and Merge mechanics through the utilization of Merge spell cards. This feature allows players to combine spell cards, transforming them into minions, or merge existing minions to elevate them to higher-tier counterparts.



UI-less UI
With some innovative thinking, all the cards were removed from from the HUD UI. It's even possible to disable the entire HUD UI and still play the game with ease. Or you can decide to have more UI and even enable console which records all the events that unfold on the board. The camera automatically adjusts its zoom to ensure the correct view for whatever action you're performing. This functionality can be customized and disabled according to your preferences.



Higher tiers bring complexity, not necessarily more power
Cards have levels (1-10) and tiers (1-3). Enhanced tier cards wield inherent effects or abilities right from the start. Consider Tier 2 card: the bullfinch, for instance. Devoid of attack power or health, it carries the ominous message of doom. A minion inflicted by Doom faces certain destruction within two turns, regardless of its health or protective measures. Notably, the doom effect does not extend to heroes, rendering it both an immensely powerful and fragile card at the same time. While it succumbs easily to a variety of spells or even the feeblest minion card, failing to do so might spell the demise of your most formidable minions. The aim of this design is that at Tier 1 the game is quite simple but gets more complex and difficult as tiers increase.



Breathing life into levels
Grid tiles can have conveyor belts and teleportation devices. Conveyor belts move cards with each world turn, while teleport systems move cards around based on the tile colour system. Powerful elements to craft engaging puzzles, captivating levels, and thrilling challenges. Like dividing the map with an endless array of neutral dynamite sticks. They're simple to dispose of, as they detonate in a chain reaction. However, there's a time limit until the next wave of dynamite cascades onto your cards when you try to move forward.



Simultaneous Co-op Turns.
Teammates can synchronize their turns, allowing for simultaneous game-play within the same team. There's no need to wait for individual turns when playing same team; instead, you can execute your moves concurrently. This real-time coordination also enables you to observe and anticipate the strategic decisions of your teammates as they contemplate their next moves.

The Story-less Story
The narrative unfolds through glimpses of the past, capturing moments like snapshots in time. Absent are traditional characters; instead, the tale is woven through ambient sounds and unfolding events. It's as if the echoes of bygone spirits are engaged in a subtle game. Though a story exists, it remains veiled in ambiguity, devoid of explicit explanations—an enigmatic narrative. To unearth the story, one must actively seek it out; otherwise, simply enjoy the game, allowing the narrative to quietly unfurl in the background, with no forced imposition.

Powerful Customization.
The effects, cards and levels are all open readable json data which can be freely modified to create mods. There's an incredible array of possibilities waiting to be unlocked through the simple act of editing JSON data alone.
For example while typically heroes are spell-casters, this isn't always the case. The same system can be utilized to craft abilities for minions. Let's consider the example of a cannon minion:

• It possesses the Spell which shoots exploding cannonballs.
  
• Unlike heroes, it cannot acquire new spells, but it has an infinite supply of cannonballs.

• Each cannonball shot requires 6 mana.
  
• The cannon receives 3 mana per round.

Consequently, the cannon can only shoot every other round.

To underscore this system's potency further, consider that the cannonball inflicts the 'Explosion' effect. This same effect could be assigned for a character, triggering upon their death, creating a kamikaze character. For example the Dynamite card uses this type of behavior.

Alternatively, imagine a fire elemental assigned with an effect set to explode at the end of each round and add another effect that gives immunity to its own explosion damage. A very troublesome opponent that needs to be taken out from far away and/or really fast.
You could even design an explosion that not only causes damage but also inflicts the 'Explosion' effect itself, creating a cascading chain reaction until all affected entities perish.

The potential for infinite recursion can be mitigated by marking that the effect does not reapply to those already afflicted. For example, consider the spell ‘Pandemic', which inflicts itself to nearby characters and deals 1 point of damage. If the target is already afflicted, the disease is not re-applied. Thus, this ability can slowly decimate an entire team if unable to separate or have negligible impact, all depending on their positioning.
Maybe they separate well and you push them back next to each other to keep the disease spreading?
Or maybe you sacrifice one of your own minions to spread the disease further?
How about rig the tiles with traps?
The traps can inflict any effect you have previously created, like Explosion or Pandemic.
This system is brimming with fascinating scenarios, abilities, and situations, merely scratching the surface of its potential.
I'm eagerly anticipating the creative cards and levels the modding community will undoubtedly craft using this system.



Here in very short is some food for thought for anyone interested in making content:
Activation conditions:
OnEffectSpawn, OnTurnStart, OnDeath, OnUnitSpawn, OnTurnEnd, OnSpellCastStart, OnSpellCastEnd, OnUnitMoveStart, OnUnitMoveEnd, OnDamage, OnHealed, OnWorldTurnStart, OnWorldTurnEnd, OnLevelStart, OnLevelEnd, OnDisengage, OnAttack, OnDefend, OnCombat, Never

Effect types:
Changes, TemporaryStatChange, SpawnBadges, Immunity, Shield, Opportunist, SuperOpportunist, Taunt, SuperTaunt, Charming, Doom, Teleport, PersonalTeleporter, Panic, Merge, SpellCollector, Swapper, SpellDestroyer, Evasion, Fly, Jump, SpellDealer, DeckDealer, InflictEffect, MovingInflictor, PickUp,
LifeStealer, Move, SuperMove, Knockback, SuperKnockback, Pull, Charm, Invisibility, SuperInvisibility, Backstab, Sanctuary, SuperSanctuary, Strangle, Trap, Sturdy

Area Types
Self, Distance, DirectionalDistance, AngularAndDirectionalDistance, AngularDistance, Specific, Linked, LinkedBadges, LinkedTiles,

Simplified idea of a few effects and spells:
Phoenix Resurrection Effect:
"Changes", Add health 10, "OnDeath", "Self", ActivationTimes = 1
Blind Spell for 2 turns:
"TemporaryStatChange", Attack set to 0, "OnTurnEnd", "Self", ActivationTimes = 2
Healing Aura Effect:
"Changes", "Add health 1, "OnTurnStart", "Distance of 1 target friendlies only", ActivationTimes = Infinite

Each part of Vfx and Sfx are open to swap as well. Even multiple alternative sounds for same action is supported. Here is a brief list of card sounds.
AttackSound, AttackImpactSound, MoveSound, DyingSound, SpawnSound, SpellCastingSound, SpellCastingEffect

And so ... so much more.

There will be documentation, examples and tools for creating new content for the game.

So what is Manticore?
The card suits represent the forces of nature as well as good and evil (Water, Fire, Light, Dark, Earth, Lightning, Life, Death). The Manticore suit is the Joker combining all others. While regular merge spells combine similar cards, the Manticore merge combines only different cards to create monstrosities. Manticore spells can single-handedly turn the tide of the game, so as in Poker, you might want to consider taking the Manticore suit out of the deck.

But its up to you.