Tic Tactic News

In order to test some upcoming features for the Beta version, we're opening a Playtest featuring the Beta Pond Ruins environment.



Here's what to expect:

• An updated set of enemies, including two completely revamped enemies.
  
• The Whirlpool tile, a tricky one to work around.
  
• Updated weapons and effects.
  
• Two new potions.
  
• Controller support!
  

We're hoping to get your feedback, so please give it a try and provide feeedback in the forums, on Discord, or through the Feedback form in Settings.


I'll be in touch soon with more news!

- unbreaded

After extensive testing and feedback from the community, we are excited to officially launch our OPEN Pre-Alpha playtest!




We’re expecting to keep the playtest live for about one month as we work through some new additions.

This playtest will feature 3 environments:

• Pond Ruins from Act 1
  
• Mudwing Marsh from Act 2
  
• The Henfields from Act 3
  

There are 25 different tiles spread across the 3 areas, and over a dozen different enemies to encounter.

This playtest gives us the opportunity to get some feedback, and gives you an early look at the upcoming demo!


If you have played the game before, this playtest will primarily be focused on the newly introduced Weapon mechanic.



Weapons add an additional strategic layer to combat by enhancing combos with bonuses and multipliers. Each weapon will have unique interactions to interact with different gameplay styles! You’ll be able to acquire new weapons by defeating elite enemies and bosses. Between battles, you can update your equipment to try different strategies and test out new loot.

Weapons are divided into two tiers:

• Common weapons, which add a straightforward bonus to combos–like the Katana, which gives 3 extra damage to diagonals.
  
• Rare weapons, with game-changing abilities that can turn a battle around–if you can meet the requirements, that is.
  

Test your mettle (and metal) against the chickens and explore the abilities of the 9 new weapons. Share your thoughts in the Steam Discussions, through the in-game feedback form, or in our Discord community.

See you on the battlefield.
unbreaded

At long last, the day is here, and I could not be more excited!

[h2]What are you talking about?[/h2]

I’m talking about Tic Tactic, of course, an anti-chicken propaganda piece disguised as a roguelike deckbuilder. In Tic Tactic, you play as a duck, the lone survivor of his clan, who returns to his ancestral home to find it overrun by the chicken army. He sets off on a quest for revenge, and for answers.

The combat system is built around matches of tic-tac-toe, loosely based on the give-and-take nature of sword duels.



It’s a simple system, at least to start: you place tiles on the board to form a combo (a three-in-a-row), which deals damage according to the value of the tiles used. Once the combo is formed, the attack is launched, and the combo is cleared from the board.



However, as you continue through the game, you are given the opportunity to add new tiles with new mechanics and functions, which deal different amounts of damage or shake up the playing field with a variety of unique effects. The demo on Itch already features over 25 different tiles, and the final release will have over double that.


[h2]Who is responsible for this?[/h2]

I suppose I should introduce myself. I go by unbreaded, and I am the sole developer behind Tic Tactic. I made all the art, music, and mechanics over the last four months.

Working alone does have its difficulties, though, and the small Discord community that has built up has been invaluable in helping me come up with new ideas, bug testing, and bouncing new mechanics off of.

I also enlisted the help of a publisher, indie.io. They have a huge catalog of released games and a team that has been helping me grapple with the publishing side of development. I’ve spoken to a few of their previous partners, and everyone had great things to say about their experience. Working with a game publishing platform like indie.io helps me focus on game development while they handle the behind-the-scenes magic, from helping manage store pages to crafting marketing campaigns and even helping the game shine at both digital and live events. In other words, they’ll handle most of the tasks that indie developers often struggle with alone.



[h2]What now?[/h2]

Well, now, I have to go and finish the game. There are a lot of mechanics and content that I want to add, and I’m really excited to share them with you once they’re ready. Be prepared, because the Steam page is going to change a lot.



For now, I ask that you wishlist the game! You’ll also get an email once the demo is ready, which should be in the next few weeks.

You can also join the community on Discord to hear quicker updates, to provide feedback, and to harass me while I work. If you don’t have a Discord or would prefer to keep up with the game elsewhere, you can find me on Bluesky, X, or TikTok.


Thanks for reading, and until next time!

unbreaded