Digital Confectioners announced that it has renamed its in-development game Triarchy and it's now Keelblade. This comes after player feedback resulted in a shift to the game design.
In a post, the studio shared that when they started development, the game was named Triarchy due to the "threes" that grounded its original design.
When development began, Triarchy was named for the "threes" that grounded its original design. There were the three major bosses and the characters which could build toward three distinct combat roles. In addition, the online co-op supported three players.
Results of Playtests
Later, the studio conducted playtests on Steam and this is where the external feedback started to come in. Early playtests showed that players enjoyed exploration and as a result wanted even more areas to discover. The studio then split the world into a collection of islands and introduced sailing as a central part of exploration and progression.
That's not all since player feedback also pushed customized ship building high on the feature priority list. This eventually grew into what would become one of the defining features of Keelblade. Players were also able to build a home aboard their own pirate ship and then take that base with them as they sail out in search of new adventures.
It doesn't stop there. Because other parts of the original design were later expanded as well. For example, the three-player co-op grew to support crews of up to six players. Meanwhile, the world gained far more than the original three bosses. Combat roles also became even more flexible with the introduction of an expansive talent tree and even more character equipment.
Over time, the game evolved and according to the studio, the original name of the game "Triarchy" simply described where the game started and not where it was headed.
The result of months of playtesting and iteration is what is now Keelblade. In the world of the game, a Keelblade is a legendary pirate and someone whose name and adventures have been etched permanently into the history of the isles.
The final Steam Playtest for Keelblade opens September 11 and in October to launch a public demo.
Wishlist Keelblade on Steam now.