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Sword of the Necromancer

Created by JanduSoft

Turn your foes into allies in this Dungeon Crawler Action RPG with Rogue-like elements

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Update on Physical Editions and Rewards
almost 3 years ago – Thu, Jun 24, 2021 at 08:39:03 PM

You can read the previous update on Physical Editions and Rewards here.

Hello everyone

Physical editions for Sword of the Necromancer will suffer a delay, we are deeply sorry. This will be for both Backer and Retail editions, and does not have relation to the existence of the Retail edition (if anything, that helped to speed up the process of publication)

It won't be for much longer, but you will have to wait until September. We hate to bring bad news, but it's our responsibility to be honest with you and give you an explanation.


Please read the whole update before making a comment or sending us messages. We know you might be angry about this, but understand that we did everything in our hands to fix the problems that led to the delay. Again, we are deeply sorry. You can read why the physical edition is being delayed below, we really hope you understand it's for the best, so you get the best quality product we can offer to you.


Reasons for the delay

As you can read in the previous update on Physical editions, and the one where we informed about the retail edition, we planned to start shipping the game to our Backers on June, exactly on this week, with the release of the DLC.

As you know, we waited to start producing the physical games until we had the DLC finished, so it could be included on the physical game (inside the cart/BluRay) and not require any download. Development on the DLC finished on April, and we should have had enough time to make the Physical Editions (which we certainly did, everything was going smoothly up until this point).

Before the "real" production starts, there is a process of validation of the ROM (the game build that will be "burned" into the physical media) all assets (cover image, cartridge sticker, cd serigraphy...). While the platform holders (Nintendo and Sony in this case) were checking this, which takes a while, we detected an issue in the game that was overlooked.

It was not a severe issue (a slowdown in some of the Extra Modes that happened under certain circumstances), but one that could negatively impact the enjoyment of the game. We were left with two options: either release a patch after making the physical editions or fix the problem and begin the ROM validation process anew (which would be way shorter this time, but still a delay), the latter being possible because we thankfully found this just before final production started.

As we wanted the physical edition to be a "definitive edition" of some sorts (not requiring a patch to be played, and only patching in case of an important problem), we were leaning on the second option, which would mean delaying the shipment about a month.


But we had two more problems, this time with the physical goods, namely the IR Cards and the Plushies. And these ones were bigger issues.


We really underestimated how many people would ask for Plushies, and made a glaring mistake in letting people get more of them as add-ons after the campaign without a limit (and at the time didn't know how to limit the units on Backerkit). That ended up in having to make 200 Plushies, which was simply too much for Boira Plushies to make, and we had to ask a plush factory to help (as we explained here). Even with some changes made to the plushes to speed up the production (bigger size so they are easier to make), they are still simply too many, and some parts like the hair have to be manually sewn up. The factory and Boira asked us for more time to make them.

As the plushes affect only a small subset of backers, we could have delayed the shipment of those backers only, or send the plushes later.


But the real problem has been with the IR Cards

To make the IR Cards readable with the Joy-Con's IR Camera they have to be made of a special kind of paper which doesn't reflect the infra-red rays too much. Other papers might render many of the codes unreadable because the central section would appear completely white. 

We dedicated a lot of time searching for a printing house that could make the cards with that paper (at least on their backside, for the code), and only found one that could deliver a quality we were happy with. We made a lot of tests with different finishes until we got the final designs.

We have to make over 80000 cards for all backers and retail Collector's Editions, so you can see it's a huge deal (remember that all backers that have to receive a shipment would receive at least 2 card packs, one of the being the Kickstarter exclusive cards). Midway, the machine that makes the cards broke, so we cannot have the cards on time, nor we can change printing house at this point (that would mean having cards that looked different, depending on the print that made them, and having to start anew the process of finding a printing house that could use the "readable" paper in the way we want).

This is an issue that affects all backers with physical editions (as all of them have to receive cards), and in this case we cannot send the cards separately (which also would double shipping costs, and we cannot afford it).


Summary

  • Physical Edition needed to be rebuilt to include a fix, so the game in the cart/BluRay needs no patch to be the "definitive version"
  • Plush makers need more time
  • Printing house machine broke and the remaining IR Cards cannot be produced. We cannot make the packs for the backers, and all backers with a physical reward were to receive them.

For those reasons, we decided to delay everything to September, to have enough time for everything. The physical game will include the fix, plushes will be made with more time to assure the best quality, and IR Cards' production will be resumed soon. We also need to have some little rest in August, as we have been working non-stop since March last year, with so few days off. We don't want to rush and have to delay the physical editions and let you down once again.

We owe you an apology.


Kind regards.

Free DLC available!
almost 3 years ago – Thu, Jun 24, 2021 at 08:38:02 PM

Check the pinned update for the status on physical editions and rewards

Beware: spoilers ahead!

The Free Extra Modes DLC will be available today on all platforms (exact time depends on platform and region).

This DLC for Sword of the Necromancer will introduce 3 new game modes to put your skills to test. You will also face 10 new monsters and 8 new bosses! Complete the Extra modes to unlock the Epilogue, a new chapter in the story!

You can read more details about the DLC here.


With the DLC we include all the features that were promised in the Stretch Goals of the Kickstarter campaign and with it we close the project (content-wise, we will of course fix issues if they appear). The DLC also includes the monsters and bosses designed by the Monster Edition and Boss Edition pledge tiers, which we could like to introduce some to you.


Backer-designed Monsters

Backer-designed Bosses

You will be able to face these new foes (and some other more designed by us, both monsters and bosses) in the new Challenge, Colosseum and Boss Rush modes! With the new creatures, the game now has a total of 14 bosses and 34 monsters you can summon.


We hope you have a great time with the new modes and enjoy the epilogue. Remember to check our Discord for help and discussions of the game. We have more plans with Sword of the Necromancer, but all in good time.


We really want to thank you for your support. You helped us to make Sword of the Necromancer the best we could do, something we are proud of, and we will be forever grateful. We learnt a lot with this project and it will help us to shape our future ones.


Thank you very much!

Sword of the Necromancer gets a physical retail release!
almost 3 years ago – Mon, May 10, 2021 at 08:36:45 PM

Grimorio of Games, JanduSoft and Tesura Games partner to release and distribute the physical edition of Sword of the Necromancer through physical retailers internationally. At the moment, the game will be distributed in several countries around Europe.

The game will come in two editions, Standard and Ultra Collectors, for Nintendo Switch or PS4 and including the latest DLC, this July.

These editions will be similar to the ones Kickstarter backers will get (although backers will get a Kicksarter exclusive extra, and also will probably get their copy before, depending on shipment times).


The Ultra Collectors edition includes:

  • Physical copy of the game (PS4/Nintendo Switch)
  • Full-color printed instruction booklet
  • Original Soundtrack CD
  • 200+ pages Artbook
  • 8 IR cards
  • Individually numbered collector’s certificate

If you didn't pledge for a physical copy and want yours, you can preorder both the standard and collector's edition at the Ultra Collectors site.


With this announcement we also reveal the game's boxart!

As you can see, it will be a rendition of the game's title screen in the style of the illustrations made by our artist Séan-Lee. We hope you like it!


Kind regards!

Free DLC Overview
almost 3 years ago – Wed, Apr 28, 2021 at 11:54:32 PM

The famous "locked door" at the right of the altar area hides the new Extra Modes!

Hi everyone!

With the DLC development in its final stage, it may be a good time to talk about what to expect from it and show you some screenshots and details.


How to play the Extra Modes

Once the free DLC is released (we will announce the exact date soon, but it is scheduled for June), if you have got the game's real ending, you will be able to unlock the door at the upper-right side of the Altar area.

Entering that door will take you to the Extras menu you can see above.

Here you will be able to choose the new modes and options: Challenge Mode, Colosseum Mode, Boss Rush Mode, Dungeon Builder and Item Shop.

All the extra modes can be played with a friend in co-op! Just plug in another controller and play together!


Challenge Mode

Revisit the base mode in this randomized challenge. In this new mode you will advance through the five floors of the dungeon as usual, but things will be different this time!

Encounter 10 new monsters!

You will encounter new enemies and bosses, and the bosses will not be in a fixed order. In addition to that, your foes will be tougher than usual and they will become even stronger as you get deeper in the dungeon, so prepare yourself!

This Challenge Mode uses the same rules as the base game except that no matter what, you must complete it from beginning to end in the same play session! You can still exit the dungeon and keep your items using Escape Rope or the teleportation circles (or dying if you set it in Game Settings).


Colosseum Mode

Show your might against hordes of enemies! Starting from level 1 and without any items, take on the waves of enemies and advance to the next level. Chain combos and make your combo meter grow, as it determines how much experience you will get and increase the probability of getting better items in the chests!

A random boss awaits you at the end! Do your best in the Colosseum levels to improve your odds at defeating it!


Boss Rush

Fight against 5 bosses without rest! Fight against tougher bosses (both old and new) in succession, with only what you can bring with you: Level up and gear up to face them!

New fearsome bosses await you!

As a prize for completing this mode, you may get your own "miniboss" to summon!

You can get one of the four original guardians by completing this mode

Dungeon Builder

Create or play custom dungeon floors! Create a floor layout, select its appearance, the enemies you want to appear and the boss at the end. You can even choose what items will appear in the chests and their properties, so you can set a challenge for yourself or for the others who play your Dungeon, as you will be able to share it with a simple text code!

Players will start at level 1 and will not retain what they get in this custom dungeon.


Item Shop

When completing one of the other modes, you will get Symbols that you can exchange for items in the Item Shop. The item offer will be the same for everyone playing the game that day, and changes every day. This is also an easy way to get all the weapon and relic types, needed for achievements.

Items in the shop will be better than usual, and also can be dismantled to get rare materials for the Forge!

Get new items everyday!

Epilogue

Complete the Extra modes to unlock a new chapter in the story!

We hope you have a good time with the new features and monsters in the game. We are currently performing the finishing touches to the DLC content before we send it to certification to make the Physical Editions (more info here).

Speaking of that...


Keep tuned! 

We have something cool to show you next week! And some great news!

And lastly...

 JanduSoft's new stuff!

Our friends at JanduSoft have released a new Kickstarter campaign, and this time it is for a BOARD GAME!

MiniQuest Adventures is a 1 to 4 player cooperative Dungeon Crawler game book


Take a look at the campaign video!

 The goal is set to $10000 (around 8000€), and you can support it here

Info about the status of DLC, Physical Editions and Physical Rewards
almost 3 years ago – Sat, Apr 10, 2021 at 01:39:30 AM

Hi everyone!

We are posting this update to have all info about the Physical Editions and physical rewards in a more visible place. 

We have been communicating about the status of these in almost all of the updates since the campaign ended (for example this one from last December) but never as a standalone thing, so many backers who didn't read the updates (or didn't read them fully) kept asking us.

If you want a summary, skip the following text and go directly to the FAQs at the end of this post.


Before the campaign ended, many backers told us that, as we were going to release a DLC not long after the game's launch, it would be better to wait a bit and release that DLC bundled with the game in the physical edition. We thought it was a good idea and went with it. It's not something we have hidden and we told the backers about this shift very early on, in the Kickstarter Updates.


As you know, our initial plan was to deliver the digital game on November, but we decided to postpone the release until January 28th to avoid other big launches and the Holiday season. This ended playing in our favor, and even with some problems with the launch, the game benefitted from this extra time (you can see how here).

As this delay wasn't due to a development problem but a decision to maximise visibility, it didn't affect the development of the free DLC (or content update) we are currently developing, which includes the content that was added to the project as a result of the campaign's Stretch Goals and the backer monsters and bosses.

  • Extra monsters (+ backer designed monsters, Monster Edition pledge)
  • Extra bosses (+ backer designed bosses, Boss Edition pledge)
  • Colosseum Mode
  • Boss Rush Mode
  • Dungeon Builder Mode
  • Summonable "Main Mode" bosses

Plus a few more extra things that are not part of the Stretch Goals or backer-generated content.

As the physical edition will contain the DLC content, this DLC has to be finished before we send the ROM to be "printed". We are currently finishing the DLC and the production of the physical editions will begin next month.

Physical Editions will start to be sent on June 2021. Even if the DLC content will be ready before that, we will release the update alongside the physical editions as a closure to this project.

The rest of the physical rewards (cards, OST CDs, artbook, figurines, plushies) will be sent alongside the physical editions. The packaging and sending will be managed by ourselves and we will take our time to ensure everybody gets what they asked for, on a one-by-one basis. There are a lot of backers and a lot of reward combinations, so we will dedicate all of our time during the month of June to do this task.


As always (and especially during these times of pandemics and boats clogging up world trade routes), problems can arise and delays can happen. Rest assured that we will keep you informed of anything that could affect your rewards.


FAQs

Why didn't I receive my physical copy yet?

Physical Editions will start to be sent on June 2021. The physical editions will contain the DLC content, and thus this content has to be finished to be included.

Why wait until the DLC is finished?

If we include the DLC inside the physical edition, you will get a full package that does not depend on a download to be "completed". That way in the future, when the digital store exists no more, you will still have the full game. This should be more valuable for collectors.

When will the other physical rewards be sent?

We will send the other physical rewards (cards, OST CDs, artbook, figurines, plushies) with the physical copies. We are going to manage all the packaging and sending by ourselves, to ensure everyone gets what they asked. There are a lot of backers and a lot of combinations, so that will take us a bit.

When will the DLC be released?

Despite the DLC will be ready on this month, it will be released on June to match the physical editions.

Will I have to pay for the DLC if I don't have a physical edition?

The DLC is a free content update for all Sword of the Necromancer players.

What does the DLC contain?

The DLC contains extra content result of the Stretch goals of this campaign. That is extra monsters and bosses, Colosseum mode, Boss Rush mode, Dungeon Builder mode, summonable "main mode" bosses (the ones you can fight in the base game) and a few more extras.

How can I get my digital rewards?

Enter http://sotn.backerkit.com with your Kickstarter email. If you have chosen your rewards already, they will appear in a section. If not, you will have to fill the survey and wait until your order is locked.

I have moved and I need to change my direction. How can I proceed?

Send a PM to JanduSoft (creator of this campaign) with your new details. If you plan to move again before June, wait until you have the final direction. We won't be responsible if you change direction whilst the package is on its way.


Speaking of Physical Editions

Also, our friends at JanduSoft (under the Ultra Collectors brand) together with Unfinished Pixel, have just announced Super Sports Blast's physical edition.

Super Sports Blast is a 3-in-1 package that includes Super Volleyball Blast, Super Tennis Blast and Super Soccer Blast, perfect for sports fans that are looking for arcade fun, and will be available only in the Ultra Collectors website starting on April 15th.

Limited to 1500 units, so if you are interested, don't miss this chance!