LostDeckTD_Prototype
Lost Deck TD
Prototype Version 1.25 · Engine: Godot 4.x (GDScript)
🎯 What is Lost Deck TD?
Lost Deck TD is a turn-based roguelike where you build a hexagonal world through card play, determine the paths attacking monsters must walk, and construct a perfect defense with towers, elements, and city development — before the waves become insurmountable.
Genre Tags
Roguelike · Deckbuilder · Tower Defense · Citybuilder
Unique Selling Point (USP)
You don't just build the city — you build the world that you and your enemies must navigate.
Path length, routing, and monster timing are active strategic decisions.
Your card draft determines which terrains, towers, and elements are available to you — terrain bonuses, recipe clusters, and element fusions reward forward-thinking combinations.
Every card shapes the world, every placement has long-term consequences.
Inspiration Titles
| Title | Relevance |
|---|---|
| Warcraft 3 Element TD | Tower defense love, element combination system |
| Slay the Spire | Roguelike deckbuilder, metaprogression, run identity through draft |
| Dorfromantik / Terrascape | Hexagonal tile placement, recipe system |
| Loop Hero | Tile placement creates global effects + adjacency bonuses |
| Nordhold | Tower defense + city expansion + resource management |
🔄 Core Loop
Each round consists of three phases:
1. Player Phase
- Draw cards (5 cards, expandable)
- Play cards: Place terrain, build paths, construct towers/buildings, upgrade towers
- Interact with POIs: Visit merchants, destroy monster spawners, activate watchtowers
- Optional actions: Redraw (R), Undo (Backspace), building actions
- End turn manually (Space)
2. Monster Phase
- Monsters spawn at active spawn points and walk toward the base
- Various monster types: Normal, Armored, Shield, Fast, Stealth
- Towers fire automatically (Stealth only with Scout reveal)
- Monsters reaching the base: −1 Life
- Cards can also be played during the Monster Phase (except path cards)
- Pause (P): Freezes simulation — UI, building, and interactions remain active
3. Wave Cleared
- Statistics, next wave preview (with type composition), process level-ups
🎮 Controls & UI
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Space | End Turn |
| Backspace | Undo |
| R | Redraw (10 Gold) |
| P | Pause (Simulation) |
| F1 | Debug Panel |
| 1-5 | Speed (1×, 2×, 3×, 5×, 10×) |
| Right-click | Hold Card |
| Scroll wheel | Zoom |
| Middle mouse | Pan |
| WASD/Arrows | Pan |
| ESC | Pause Menu (Toggle) |
UI Panels
- InteractionList — Right side, shows all interactable buildings/POIs
- DebugPanel — Tower/Monster Inspector, Speed Controls, Pause
- RecipePanel — Recipe codex (all recipes grouped by tier)
- DeckViewPanel — Deck overview (Draw/Discard/Exhaust)
- CardPickPanel — Reusable for Merchant, LevelUp, Tower Selection, Trading Post
Language
- Fully localized: German + English
- Switchable in Settings → Language
🗺️ The Map
- Hexagonal Grid — Radius 11 (~400 tiles)
- Fog of War — Tiles are hidden and revealed through exploration
- Base Position — Random on the map; starting path always points toward grid center
- Hidden in fog: Pre-placed terrains, Points of Interest
- Starting area (radius 2) is guaranteed free of pre-placed terrain and POIs
🃏 Deck System
Starting Deck (9 cards, chosen via draft)
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Terrain | 2×2 (Forest, Mountain, Plain, River, Swamp) |
| Towers | 1 (Arrow Tower, Bombard, Scout Tower) |
| Buildings | 2 (Standard: Woodcutter, Fishery, Herb Hut, Quarry) |
| Paths | 1 (Straight + Curve) |
| Essence | 1 (all element towers) |
Card Mechanics
- Reusable: Cards rotate through the deck
- Exhaust: Certain cards are exhausted after N plays
- Hold: Right-click holds a card in hand (5G fee; refunded on unmark or play)
- Deck Thinning: Trading Post removes cards (exhaust, min. 7 in deck)
- Level-Up Rewards: Choice of 3 random options (dynamic pool with level gating)
- Tower Stacking: Same tower card on placed tower = level-up
- Element Upgrade: 2nd mine of same element upgrades card (Single → Focus)
💰 Resources
| Resource | Source | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Base income, Marketplace, Fishery, Events | Terrain, Towers, Redraw, Trading Post |
| Wood | Woodcutter, Fishery | Towers, Buildings |
| Stone | Quarry (Mountain) | Advanced constructions |
🗼 Towers & Terrain Bonuses
Standard Towers
| Tower | Effect | Terrain |
|---|---|---|
| Arrow Tower | Single-target (+Chain-Hit on River) | Any |
| Bombard | AoE damage | Mountain/Plain/Swamp |
| Scout Tower | Fog reveal + Marked debuff + Stealth reveal | Any |
Single Element Towers
| Tower | Element | Effect | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frost Tower | 💧 Water | 20% Slow (3s, stacks with Swamp) | Element source (River) |
| Flame Tower | 🔥 Fire | AoE Burn (DoT, decaying stacks) | Element source (Swamp) |
| Thorn Tower | 🌿 Nature | Poison (DoT, replace-only) | Element source (Forest) |
| Boulder Tower | 🪨 Earth | Stun + AoE Burst (very slow) | Element source (Mountain) |
Focus Towers — 2× Same Element
| Tower | Element | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Ice Tower | 💧💧 | Strong Slow + Freeze chance (Frozen Aura) |
| Inferno Tower | 🔥🔥 | Massive AoE Burn (15 stacks, radius 55) |
| Overgrowth Tower | 🌿🌿 | Root (movement stop + armor break) |
| Fortress Tower | 🪨🪨 | Heavy AoE damage (150) + 3s Stun |
Fusion Towers — 2 Different Elements
| Tower | Elements | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Steam Tower | 💧+🔥 | Slow + Burn |
| Marsh Tower | 💧+🌿 | Slow + Poison |
| Erosion Tower | 💧+🪨 | Slow + Armor Break |
| Ash Tower | 🔥+🌿 | Burn + Poison |
| Magma Tower | 🔥+🪨 | Burn + Stun |
| Quake Tower | 🌿+🪨 | Root + AoE Damage |
Mastery Towers — 3× Same Element
TBD
Tower Stacking
Same card on placed tower = level-up (max level 10). Quadratic scaling:
- L2 = 1.6× DPS, L5 = 4.5× DPS, L10 = 15.4× DPS
- Debuffs scale separately: DoT (stacks), CC (duration, cap 2.5×), Slow/Freeze (flat/level)
- Crits enhance debuffs: Forest placement is relevant for all towers
- Element towers: +element_level per stack (Single +1, Focus +2, Mastery +3)
Terrain Bonuses
| Terrain | Tower Bonus |
|---|---|
| Mountain ⛰️ | +20% Range |
| Forest 🌲 | +20% Crit (×2.0 damage, also scales debuffs) |
| Plain 🌾 | +25% Fire Rate |
| River 🌊 | +20% Chain-Hit (multi-bounce at >100%) |
| Swamp | −20% Monster Speed (adj. paths) |
👾 Monster Types
| Type | Color | Mechanic | Counter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | Red | No special abilities | — |
| Armored | Gray | Flat damage reduction (8, max 50%) | High burst (Bombard), Armor Break |
| Shield | Blue HP bar | Regenerating shield pool (30% HP) | Sustained damage, Poison |
| Fast | Orange | 1.5× speed | Slow (Swamp, Water), Freeze, Root |
| Stealth | Transparent | Invisible to towers | Scout Tower |
Debuffs
| Debuff | Source | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Slowed | 💧 Water, Swamp | Reduced speed |
| Burning | 🔥 Fire | DoT + armor reduction |
| Poisoned | 🌿 Nature | DoT + shield reduction |
| Marked | Scout, ✨ Light | +20% damage from all sources |
| Frozen | 💧💧 Ice | Movement stop + aura-slow on nearby |
| Root | 🌿🌿 Overgrowth | Short stop + long armor break |
| Armor Break | Overgrowth, Erosion | Reduced armor |
🏙️ Buildings
| Standard Building | Terrain | Effect | Adjacency-Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodcutter | Forest | +6 🪵income | +3🪵/adj 🌲 |
| Quarry | Mountain | +5 🪨income | +2🪨/adj ⛰️ |
| Fishery | Plain/Forest/Swamp + adj. River | +3💰 +5🪵income | +2💰/adj 🌊 |
| Harbor | River | +5💰+2🪵+1🪨income | +2🪵+1🪨/adj 🌊 |
| Herb Hut | Swamp | +1 Life every 2 rounds | -1R Interval/2 adj 🌲 |
| Toll House | Plain/River | +5💰income | +3💰/adj 🛤️ |
| Special Building | Terrain | Effect | Adjacency-Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forge | Mountain | Research Hub | -1R Research/2 adj ⛰️ |
| Marketplace | Plain | +10 💰/round + offers cards for purchase | +2💰/adj 🏠 |
| Library | Plain | +1 Hand Size, Reduces Forge research time | Forge Research -10% Cost |
| Trading Post | Plain, | Remove cards from deck |
🧩 Terrain Recipes
Certain terrain arrangements activate local cluster bonuses:
| Recipe | Tiles | Shape | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⚪ Mountain Range | M×3 | Line | +10% Range (adj. towers) |
| ⚪ Thicket | F×3 | Triangle | +8% Crit (cluster towers) |
| ⚪ Wide Fields | P×3 | Triangle | +3 Gold/round/tile |
| ⚪ Rivercourse | R×3 | Line | -10% Monster Speed (adj. paths) |
| ⚪ Moorland | S×3 | Triangle | Poison (adj. paths) |
| 🟣 Storm Peak | M×3+R×2+F×1 | Fixed | Chain Lightning +1 Target |
Core mechanic: Each tile can only belong to one recipe. Higher tier claims first. Cluster for local bonuses vs. spread for global bonuses = strategic tension.
📐 Recipe Row in the HUD shows active recipes. Click opens the recipe codex (RecipePanel).
📍 Points of Interest
| POI | Terrain | Trigger | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hidden Cache 📦 | — | Auto | +Gold / +Wood / +Lives (scales) |
| Event Field ❓ | — | Auto | Random event |
| Merchant 🛒 | — | Click | Buy 3 cards |
| Monster Spawner ☠️ | — | Passive/Click | +10%/round monsters; destroyable (scales) |
| Ancient Watchtower 🗼 | — | Click | Fog reveal radius 2 |
| Holy Spring 💧 | River | Click | +7 Lives |
| Abandoned Mine ⛏️ | Mountain | Click | +Stone OR +Gold (scales) |
| Training Ground 🏋️ | — | Click | Tower +AS% (scales) |
| Ancient Monolith 🗿 | — | Click | Adj. towers +2 Level |
| Scholar's Retreat 📚 | — | Click | +1 Draw for 2 rounds |
| Refugee Camp ⛺ | — | Click | +Income, but +Monsters (scales) |
| Element Sources (💧🔥🌿🪨) | Terrain | Click (Mine) | Element tower card |
🎲 Random Events
Events scale with the current round. Stronger events appear only from certain rounds:
| Event | Type | Effect | Min. Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magical Find | Positive | +Gold/Stone/Lives (scales) | 1 |
| Bandit Raid | Negative | Pay Gold or lose Lives (scales, min 1) | 1 |
| Dark Prophecy | Choice | ×Monsters, ×XP next wave (scales) | 3 |
| Monster Migration | Timed | +% Monsters next wave (scales) | 2 |
| Forgotten Knowledge | Positive | +XP (scales) | 1 |
| Wandering Merchants | Choice | Card shop | 1 |
| Nature Awakening | Positive | Reveal fog tiles (scales) | 1 |
| Ruined Outpost | Choice | Free building card OR Gold (scales) | 1 |
| Elite Vanguard | Choice | Elite monster next wave (×HP, ×XP) | 4 |
| Eclipse | Choice | All monsters STEALTH or pay Gold | 6 |
| Wandering Builder | Positive | +1 Level on chosen tower | 3 |
| Cartographer | Positive | Reveal POI position | 2 |
| Deforestation | Choice | Destroy terrain for resources | 2 |
⬆️ Level-Up Rewards
Rewards scale with round and are gated by minimum level:
| Reward | Formula | Min Level |
|---|---|---|
| ❤️ +Lives | 3 + round×0.5 | 1 |
| 💰 +Gold/Round | 3 + round×1 | 1 |
| 🪵 +Wood/Round | 3 + round×0.5 | 1 |
| 🪨 +Stone/Round | 2 + round×0.25 | 2 |
| 💰 Gold Flat | 30 + round×5 | 1 |
| 🪵 Wood Flat | 20 + round×4 | 1 |
| 💎 Stone Flat | 10 + round×2 | 2 |
| 🃏 Extra Draw + Gold | +1 Draw, 10+round×2 Gold | 1 |
| 📐 Recipe Bonus | +1 Terrain tile revealed | 3 |
| 🛡️ Fortification | Absorbs hits (−1/round) | 5 |
| 🔮 Essence Boost | +1 Mine level (random) | 6 |
| + Card Picks | Draft Tower/Terrain/Path/Building | 1 |
| + Special Cards | Crossroad, Library, Marketplace, Trading Post | 1-2 |
📊 Current Status
✅ Version 1.1 — Boss System + Quests
- 🎮 Playable on itch.io
- Boss System — Boss on wave 10, element choosable, free mine on victory
- Quest System — "Kill the Boss" as prototype win condition
- Victory Flow — Quest completion → continue playing or end run
- PATH_FULL — Universal path card (Straight/Curve retired)
- Tower Localization — Names & descriptions in DE/EN
- HudDisplayController — Display logic extracted from Hud.gd (−30% LOC)
- Changelog Panel — Click version number to show changelog in-game
🔧 Next Steps
- Forge & adjacency building effects (1.2)
- Win condition & quest system complete (1.3)
- Fusion Tower Rework — Unique Mechanics (1.4)
- Meta-progression (1.8)
Engine: Godot 4.x (GDScript) · Version: Prototype 1.1
