Store page & demo link:
After 4 rounds of beta testing and improving the game based on the feedback, I'm finally comfortable to put the demo out for the wider audience. I hope that you will all also find the unique aspects of the game to as engaging as I do.
Boundless Paths is a mix of 3 of my favorite sub-genres (TD, roguelite and exploration). Aside from designing a game I'd like to play myself and needing something unique to hopefully stand out against better funded efforts, I felt it could address some subjective 'imperfections' in the TD genre.
a) Maps the player has to adapt to, instead of potentially having the perfect solution out on the internet. This is achieved by both the random map and path generation, the exploratory mechanic, and even the player choice in terms of where to explore.
b) Continuity between maps. Many TDs have different approaches to this, but I opted for a roguelite design because I like how roguelites balance between higher stakes and frustration (eg. permadeath is too frustrating for me). So like most roguelites, an average run is meant to take about 1-2 hours, and failure does grant some consolation credit.
c) No more sudden death. I didn't like how quickly tower defense games tend to flip from 'Not a single monster has breached my defenses in yawn 50 waves' to 'Oh no, I just lost and have to start over' So I intentionally gave players a large and growing health pool that is meant to regularly take damage. Health can also be used as a resource in multiple ways, and there's additional incentivization to hoard health beyond just not losing. (edited)
Contact me or send feedback at my discord channel below.