CASE STUDY

The Lost Exorcist

Detailed design analysis page for a top-down CRPG + Roguelike project. This page is structured first so content can be added section by section later.

PAGE STRUCTURE

Analysis Modules

01. Overall Game Description
02. Resource Loop System
03. Tarot Skill System
04. Future Direction

MODULE 01

Overall Game Description

Overview
Core Concept

The Lost Exorcist

CRPG-style roguelike tactics game

CRPG
  • Character build planning
  • Attribute growth
  • Tactical decisions
Roguelike
  • Randomness
  • Resource management
  • Run variety
  • Shorter run length
Combat Layer
  • Turn-based flow
  • Agility-based initiative
  • Move, attack, skill, positioning
Build Layer
  • Faith
  • Strength
  • Agility
  • Wisdom
Dice Coupling
  • Attribute points feed into dice value construction
  • Lower build-learning cost
World Switching
  • Surface world for exploration rewards
  • Underworld for combat rewards
  • Hidden passages
Reference Points
Combat

Baldur's Gate 3

Camera / Art

Stardew Valley

Roguelike Mode

Soul Knight / Slay the Spire 2

MODULE 02

Combat System Flow

Turn Loop
Combat Triggered
Start of Round
Turn Order by Agility
Preparation Phase
Attribute Dice

Roll attribute dice

Normal Action Die

One guaranteed base gain per round

Round Energy = Attribute Value + Dice Result

Attribute value is a guaranteed base of the attribute energy system.

Action Phase
Normal Action
Agility Energy

Converts into movement range

Other Attribute Energy

Charges tarot cards and skills

Resolve
Next Round

MODULE 03

Tarot Skill System

Tarot Skill System Overview
4 Skill Slots

Tarot cards function as active skill slots rather than a separate deck layer.

3 Skills Per Faction

Each faction contributes a compact package of three tarot skills with a shared identity.

Faction Activation Rule

A faction effect only activates when all skills from that faction have been selected.

Build Tradeoff

Players choose between stable faction synergy and freer but riskier neutral-oriented builds.

System Tension

The player is always choosing between synergy consistency and modular adaptability.

01

Celestial

Controls the battlefield through shifting day and night states.

Core Mechanic

Day / Night Cycle

Full faction setup unlocks a rotating field state that powers both offense and defense windows.

  • State control
  • Area pressure
  • Night payoff
Sun

Sun

Switches the field to day or converts that state into an AoE burst.

Moon

Moon

Switches the field to night or turns that state into a defensive zone.

Star

Star

Generates orbiting projectiles and releases them as burst shots.

02

Judgement

A high-risk damage faction that snowballs into execution.

Core Mechanic

Overload

Going past a damage threshold adds instability, pushing players to balance greed and reliability.

  • Damage ramp
  • Risk spike
  • Finisher payoff
Strength

Strength

Builds temporary power stacks that amplify later attacks.

Justice

Justice

A stable single-target strike with conditional bonus reach.

Judgement

Judgement

Consumes stored momentum for a heavy execution hit.

03

Royal

A command faction built around policy timing and control.

Core Mechanic

Edict Cycle

Players alternate aggressive and defensive decrees while avoiding repetition penalties.

  • State planning
  • Tempo control
  • Policy synergy
King

King

Sets the current decree and defines the faction's next payoff window.

Queen

Queen

Provides sustain, shielding, and setup for the next turn.

Chariot

Chariot

A charge attack that spikes harder during aggressive decree states.

04

Church

A mark-stacking faction with threshold and detonation play.

Core Mechanic

Faction Sigils

The fourth equipped card defines the sigil type, shaping how marks stack, trigger thresholds, and explode.

  • Mark stacking
  • Threshold spikes
  • Faction borrowing
Pope

Pope

Applies focused marks and creates spread potential around one target.

High Priestess

High Priestess

Adjusts mark count, transfers stacks, or snaps enemies to key thresholds.

Hanged Man

Hanged Man

Delays detonation, then converts stored marks into a timed burst.

05

Neutral

A flexible utility pool built around variance and adaptation.

Core Mechanic

Fate Drift

Without full faction activation, each round starts with a random positive or negative swing.

  • High variance
  • Utility coverage
  • Flexible builds
Neutral Card Pool

01 / 03

Fool

Fool

Repeats the last non-finisher skill at reduced power.

Magician

Magician

Revives a defeated enemy as a temporary summon.

Wheel

Wheel of Fortune

Rerolls a key die and improves control over luck-driven outcomes.

Lovers

Lovers

Creates a linked decoy that redirects hits and leaves a shield.

Hermit

Hermit

Buffs one attribute die for several rounds.

Death

Death

Stores execute value over time for later kill pressure.

Temperance

Temperance

Turns direct damage into self-healing for one turn.

Devil

Devil

Summons a pull point that drags nearby enemies inward.

Tower

Tower

Builds or removes a blocking summon tower for space control.

01 / 05

MODULE 04

Growth & Iteration Wrap-up

Growth

Character Attribute Growth

Core attributes keep scaling over time, raising both build depth and the value generated by combat dice.

Dice Growth

Dice can grow through more faces and higher face-value caps, expanding both ceiling and consistency.

Tarot Skill Upgrades

Tarot cards evolve as the core skill layer, improving output, cycle speed, and faction synergy.

Iteration

Relic System

Relics can be earned from defeated enemies, merchants, and exploration rewards. General relics and tarot-specific relics both add combat variation and smooth out skill rotation flow.