Outcast Tales Windows, Mac game

Outcast Tales

Hardlane Studio | CRITICAL REFLEX | Released Jan 29, 2024

You will lead a squad of scavengers on a venture across the wasteland in pursuit of profit, food and all sorts of cool stuff! Each character has a unique combination of class and personality, which will provide an unrepeatable (literally!) adventure.

Combat action breaks by short ironic events, during which the traits of the heroes are revealed, and your choices determine your own history of the squad. The pool of events is large, and personalities and classes can drastically change the outcomes.

Your enemies will be strong but predictable. You need to explore their flaws and quickly adapt to different enemy compositions.

Each run, choose 3 characters out of 8 classes (some unlockable). Experiment with synergies and party compositions to slay everyone in your way!
Every character can choose a personality from the 7 available (some unlockable). These influence their dialogue, battle capabilities, relationships, morale, stats, and overall style — but most importantly, they can drastically change the course of events.
The heart of the game lies in the tough tactical fights. The enemies are strong, but often have flaws to exploit. Adapt, improve, overcome!
Slay bosses… or sneak past. These large and unique enemies come with their own mechanics and storylines. The rewards may be game-changing — but are you in a good enough condition to take them on? Sometimes it’s smarter to walk past a fight.
As you progress through the game, more options become available.
Every node on the map offers a text event. A smart choice can grant you loot, help two characters form a bond, or hint at the deeper truth behind the events. An unsuccessful one might end in a disaster.
Over the course of an adventure the party members will grow to become friends… or bitter enemies. Nudge their stories to receive unique events and outcomes!
From cute baby lizards to passionate fighter-pilgrims, all kinds of characters may aid you on your journey.
A mixture of post-apoc, Westerns, and sci-fi creates a relatable yet original world. "Firefly meets Douglas Adams."
Try again. Most bands of misfits fail — this is a roguelite, after all. But even failed runs bring progress in the form of unlockable classes, personalities, and items. You’ll be better equipped next time — and the game’s high variance offers high replayability.

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Outcast Tales

Jun 26 2021 News 9 comments

Combat-based action is broken up by short tongue-in-cheeck events, during which the traits of the heroes are revealed, and your choices determine your squad's history. The pool of events is huge, and personalities and classes can drastically change the outcome.
Your enemies will be strong but predictable. You need to explore their flaws and quickly adapt to different enemy compositions.

How We’re Unique

Classes + Personalities

Each member of the party has a class AND a personality, both affecting different aspects of the game. This leads to a lot of combinations for the player to explore.

Unique balance of fighting and story

Action is broken up by funny events full of character. Bond with heroes, make choices and create your own story. The pool of events is large, offering a lot of variety. Personalities and classes affect the outcome of your choices.

Transparent enemy moves + Challenging enemies = Strategic battles

While not unique to gaming in general, this approach to battles is not thoroughly explored by roguelites. The enemies are strong, but often have flaws to exploit. You can’t use the same strategy every time and have to adapt to different enemy compositions.

Tongue-in-cheek dialogue from an award-winning game writer

Outcast Tales mixes post-apoc, Western, and sci-fi to create a relatable yet original world — and goes to town with it. In terms of tone, think Firefly or Douglas Adams.

How It Plays

Pick your party. Each run, choose 3 characters out of 8 available classes (unlockable). Experiment with synergies and party compositions to slay everyone in your way!
Different personalities. Every character can choose a personality from the 7 available (unlockable). These influence their dialogue, battle capabilities, relationships, morale, stats, and overall style — but most importantly, they can drastically change the course of events.
Tough tactical fights. The heart of the game lies in the tough tactical fights. The enemies are strong, but often have flaws to exploit. You can’t use the same strategy every time and have to adapt to different enemy compositions.
Choose/upgrade abilities. As you progress through the game, more options become available. Find the right synergies or harness raw power!
Loot! Some items support your strategies, while others can change the whole approach.
Make choices. Every node on the map offers a text event. A smart choice can grant you loot or help two characters form a bond, while an unsuccessful one might end in a disaster.
...Or watch characters make their own. A trigger-happy Daredevil might not wait for you to solve things peacefully, and a likeable Eye Catcher might defuse a conflict with a joke. Personalities can drastically change the course of events!

Forge lasting bonds. Over the course of an adventure the party members will grow to become friends… or bitter enemies. Nudge their stories to receive unique events and outcomes!
Recruit companions. From cute baby lizards to passionate fighter-pilgrims, all kinds of characters may aid you on your journey.
Lose companions to tough enemies because the desert is a harsh mistress and all life is fleeting. Get sad. Get revenge.
Tongue-in-cheek comedy amidst desolation. This world has seen better days, but moping won’t help anyone. Succinct and sarcastic events and dialogues from an award-winning game writer offer a laugh and a breather between tactical thinking.
Slay bosses… or sneak past. These large and unique enemies come with their own mechanics and storylines. The rewards may be game-changing — but are you in a good enough condition to take them on? Sometimes it’s smarter to walk past a fight.

Try again. Most bands of misfits fail — this is a roguelite, after all. But even failed runs bring progress in the form of unlockable classes, personalities, and items. You’ll be better equipped next time — and the game’s high variance offers high replayability.