Nowhere Prophet
Developer(s)Sharkbomb Studios
Publisher(s)No More Robots
Designer(s)Martin Nerurkar
Programmer(s)Martin Nerurkar
Artist(s)
  • Anjin Anhut
  • Casey Parkhurst
  • Jack Allen
Composer(s)Mike Beaton
EngineUnity
Platform(s)Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release
  • Windows, macOS, Linux
  • July 19, 2019
  • Switch, PS4, Xbox One
  • July 20, 2020
Genre(s)Roguelike deck-building
Mode(s)Single-player

Nowhere Prophet is a roguelike deck-building game developed by German developer Sharkbomb Studios and published by No More Robots. The game was first released in early access for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux in October 2017 on Itch.io.[1] The game was fully released for these platforms in July 2019.[2] A version for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One followed in July 2020.

Gameplay

In Nowhere Prophet, the player takes on the role of a prophet and attempts to lead a convoy of outcasts through a hostile, procedurally generated environment in search for a mystical, safe place. On this journey the player has to manage resources and to battle through enemies and bosses. This combat is resolved with a collectible card game-based system, where the skills of the prophet and the members of the convoy are represented by cards. During the journey the prophet can improve their skills and the convoy can grow, giving the player access to a wider card pool from which to build their decks.

Development

Nowhere Prophet was designed and developed by Martin Nerurkar over a five-year span. The development was begun in 2015 under the working title Burning Roads and was supported with public funding from the German state of Baden-Württemberg.[3] During development the combat system was completely changed from a system involving multiple party members to the grid-based combat it ultimately released with.[4]

According to an article from developer Martin Nerurkar, the game's First Access release on Itch.io sold 136 copies in the first five weeks, eventually growing to 450 copies over the next six months.[5][6] During this time the game was featured in articles on Rock Paper Shotgun.[7][8]

Reception

Nowhere Prophet has an aggregate score of 73/100 on Metacritic, described as "mixed to average reviews".[11] Some of the issues noted by critics were the high difficulty and the AI behavior. Matt Cox of Rock Paper Shotgun called the game "worth exploring for its world and its storytelling", but criticized the combat, calling the AI "wonky".[12] Edge rated the game 50/100, comparing the combat to "playing against an opponent who overturns the table when they win".[13] Miguel Solo of Meristation rated the game 7.8/10, calling the combat innovative and the game itself heavily replayable, but also saying that the progression was unclear and it could use maps with more alternative routes.[14]

Awards and accolades

YearAwardCategoryResultRef
2019 Animated Games Award Germany Visual Design & Aesthetics Nominated [15]
2020 GermanDevDays Award Best Story Nominated [16]
Best Sound Nominated
Best Game Mechanics Nominated
Best Game Nominated
2021 Deutscher Entwicklerpreis Best Game Design Nominated [17]

References

  1. ↑ Nerurkar, Martin (2017-10-10). "First Access Release!". Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  2. ↑ Allen, Joseph (2019-06-24). "Digital Dustpunk Deck-Builder Nowhere Prophet Launches On Steam July 19th". Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  3. ↑ Geförderte Projekte (in German), retrieved 2021-05-19
  4. ↑ Suther, Austin (2019-07-17), A Look at How Nowhere Prophet Combines Roguelikes and Card Mechanics, retrieved 2021-05-19
  5. ↑ Nerurkar, Martin (November 16, 2017). "Five Weeks in the Wild - Early Access on itch.io". Gamasutra. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  6. ↑ Nerurkar, Martin (April 10, 2018). "Early Access without Steam?". Gamasutra. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  7. ↑ Smith, Adam (15 January 2018). "Nowhere Prophet is a post-apocalyptic trip with a soul". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  8. ↑ Castle, Katharine (17 April 2019). "Nowhere Prophet hits the road this summer and it's made me a digital card game convert". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Nowhere Prophet for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Nowhere Prophet for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Nowhere Prophet". Metacritic. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
  12. ↑ Cox, Matt (19 July 2019). "Wot I Think: Nowhere Prophet". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Nowhere Prophet Review". Edge (336): 118. 2019-08-15.
  14. ↑ Solo, Miguel (2019-08-08). "Nowhere Prophet, Análisis: cartas postapocalípticas". MeriStation (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-11-15.
  15. ↑ Nomination for German Animated Games Award at ITFS 2019, 2019-05-06, retrieved 2021-05-19
  16. ↑ GermanDevDays Indie Award: Online-Verleihung am 1. Oktober; Nominierte enthüllt (in German), 11 September 2020, retrieved 2021-09-30
  17. ↑ Deutscher Entwicklerpreis 2020: Die Nominierten stehen fest – große Preisverleihung im Live-Stream am 20. Januar 2021 (in German), 2 December 2020, retrieved 2021-05-19
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