All Will Rise: Progressive Deck-Builder Defies Genre Norms with Interactive Fiction Twist

Introduction to All Will Rise: A Different Kind of Deck-Builder

All Will Rise, the upcoming progressive deck-builder from developers led by Narrative Director Meghna Jayanth and Design Director Hugo Bille, is not your typical card game. Blending intricate card battles with deep interactive fiction elements, it sets out to challenge genre norms while tackling pressing social and environmental issues. Scheduled for release later this year on PC, our preview reveals a game that's as much about storytelling as it is about strategy.

The game's setting, the historical Keralan city of Muziris, provides a rich backdrop for its narrative, which combines the personal with the political, focusing on the fight against corporate greed and environmental destruction. With a full game length of around 8 hours, All Will Rise promises a substantial experience that encourages multiple playthroughs due to its branching narrative and complex mechanics.

Gameplay Innovations: Where Narrative Meets Strategy

A standout feature of All Will Rise is its approach to card battles, which feel more like collaborative storytelling sessions than traditional adversarial encounters. As Hugo Bille, Design Director, notes,

"We break a couple of taboos in card games."

Players can only play cards that narratively make sense next to each other, a rule that's intuitive rather than explicitly printed on the cards, requiring a deep understanding of the story's flow.

This innovative system is paired with a "Trust" mechanic, where building trust with allies and opponents alike can significantly alter the game's progression. Additionally, the game introduces "Emotional Energies" (Guts, Hearts, Minds), which can shift the narrative's direction and unlock new cards when managed effectively. For example, igniting an NPC's "Guts" energy can lead to unexpected story turns, such as a character running for mayor.

"More Interesting" Than the "Woke, Liberal Bucket"

Narrative Director Meghna Jayanth emphasizes the game's ambition to transcend simple categorization:

"Making something that is leftist, that is progressive in this way, you can just get put into the woke, liberal bucket. We really want to make sure that no, we're doing something a bit more interesting here."

This "something more" includes a nuanced approach to climate activism, not preaching a specific message but rather inspiring players to imagine alternative futures. As Bille reflects,

"Climate is often thought of as a crisis of imagination: it's easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism."

Jayanth hopes the game will

"open people up to the idea that the world doesn't have to be as it is,"

echoing the game's mantra, "Reality is more malleable than you think." This philosophy is deeply personal for the developers, many of whom have a background in activism, aiming to model agency and encourage players to engage more deeply with the world around them.

Preview Experience and Player Engagement

Our 3-hour demo showcased the game's ability to balance complexity with accessibility, though Design Director Hugo Bille acknowledges the learning curve, comparing their approach to Baldur's Gate 3 in making complex systems optionally deep. The demo's highlight was a dynamic battle with Kottavai, a ritual performer, where the narrative flow and card play seamlessly merged, showcasing the game's unique identity.

The game's lighthearted moments, such as the banter among the player's team of volunteers, provide a welcome contrast to its heavier themes, making the experience feel more approachable. Jayanth's goal of inspiring real-world change, however small, is ambitious yet grounded in the belief that games can inspire tangible impact, as seen in player responses to her previous work.

What to Expect and Why It Matters

All Will Rise is poised to make a significant impact on the gaming landscape with its bold fusion of genres and unflinching approach to social and environmental commentary. For players seeking more than just a game, All Will Rise promises an experience that lingers long after the credits roll, encouraging reflection on the world's malleability and the player's potential impact within it.

With its release slated for later this year, gamers and fans of interactive fiction alike should keep a close eye on this title, not just for its innovative gameplay mechanics but for its thoughtful, necessary commentary on the world we live in. As the game develops, its ability to balance depth with accessibility will be crucial, but the current direction is undeniably compelling.

Key Takeaways