Foretales is a New Card-Based Narrative Journey that Has Branching Storylines

Foretales is a new indie card-based narrative adventure that features a mischievous bird named Volepain.

Foretales is a New Card-Based Narrative Journey that Has Branching Storylines

Digital Card games are all the rage this 2022 as many new titles have surfaced out of nowhere. Wonderful indie gems such as Wildfrost and Floppy Knights both try to make their mark in the somewhat crowded genre. We also have famous actors such as Lord of the Ring’s Billy Boyd teach us about Elder Scrolls Online’s Tales of Tribute in-game minigame.

Joining the flock is a thieving avian by the name of Volepain, star of the upcoming game Foretales. This indie card game claims that it is highly narrative-driven and has multiple approaches to dealing with problems. Let’s take a closer look.

Gotta Get the Shinies

Volepain and his friends are set to decide the fate of the realm, much to their dismay. They were simply tasked with stealing a special, magical lyre. The job was supposed to be simple – sneak in, avoid the guards, and get out. Easy.

Don’t Touch Mysterious Magical Lyres

However, things aren’t what meets the eye. As soon as he touched the lyre, Volepain started having horrific visions of the end of the world. The only way to prevent this was to gather the rest of his friends and stop the incoming threat. How the group does this depends entirely on the player. They will need to hurry though, as the clock is ticking.

What’s in a Story?

Foretales, much like other card games, are mainly played on a game board. Here, various creatures, effects, items, and other happenings take place and do combat. In Foretales though, combat is not the only option.

Open-Ended Non-Linear Gameplay

Players can fight, sneak or bribe their way through encounters, finding unique ways to solve the various challenges. Do you try and fight guards head-on, stealthily sneak past them, or offer them some ale and potentially befriend them? It even looks like you can avoid killing altogether in the game. All the choices in Foretales have consequences that may not immediately be apparent.

Disable Your Enemies by Making them Sneeze

Explore the Heart of Cards

Experimentation will also lead to some unexpected outcomes. The game will also have thousands of different card combinations to try out, depending on your approach. Foretales will also feature multiple endings based on the various choices you make through your adventures. It might take a playthrough or two to see if the cast of Foretales is truly able to save the world.

Bring on Your Companions

Exploration on the other hand isn’t quite clear yet as of the trailers presented. It looks like an “overworld” will exist that is made entirely of cards, similar to the Voice of Cards games by Yoko Taro.

Do You Want to Pick a Fight?

Like other card games, Foretales is played turn-based. However, as mentioned earlier, direct combat will not be your only option to clear encounters. Players can try to modify the battlefield in their favor even before the fight begins.

Influence the Battle Before It Even Begins

Players have the option to create annoying squawking, depleting the enemy’s morale and even causing some of them to flee, tipping the odds. Throw money at some greedy night watchman to have them sit out the fight, or join you.

The sky’s the limit and Foretales intends to let players express their creativity in problem-solving.

The Look and Feel of Foretales

Alkemi’s founder Alain Puget was also kind enough to go into an interview with Game World Observer, another online publication. There, Puget talks about the years of dedication it took to create the game, as well as the challenges it took.

Gorgeous Foretales

To say that Foretales is gorgeous would be quite an understatement. Foretales features over 800 hand-drawn images for the cards alone. This number does not include the art for the rest of the game, meaning the game board, UI elements, and cutscenes. It is even more amazing since the bulk of the visuals were done by two artists.

Cards in Foretales are bright, distinct, and visually striking.

Overall, Foretales tries to make itself look like a board game, and for the most part it delivers. Games are held on various wooden tabletops that have different lighting and ambience, depending on the scenario.

Foretales’ Release Date

Foretales looks like an exciting romp in a fantasy world. Players who enjoy card games, turn-based combat, or excellent narratives will definitely enjoy this title. Foretales is set to release sometime this summer of 2022. It will be available on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. No price has been revealed just yet.

For more news, check out our Weekly RPG News Roundup, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Announced for 2023, Sequel to Fall Order and Playstation State of Play Announced for June 2nd.