A run-based deckbuilder tower defense game built around modular tower construction and card-driven combat control, expanding a successful game jam prototype into a full commercial project. Developed as a long-term Steam release, the project emphasizes production planning, data-driven content workflows, and maintainable Blueprint-first systems in Unreal Engine 5.7.

Status

Active

Description

Turret Deck Builder is a wave-based tower defense game where the tower provides baseline automated attacks while the player actively influences combat through a deck of cards. Cards consume energy and are used to deal damage, apply statuses, modify tower performance, and manage survivability through upgrades and repairs.

The project is a direct follow-up to a game jam prototype. The prototype established the core loop and confirmed that the moment-to-moment play felt strong, which motivated the decision to expand the concept into a full-scale production with deeper progression, broader content, and release-grade presentation.

Runs are structured as escalating waves within biome progression. After each wave, the player selects a reward that shapes the current run, such as adding a card, applying a tower upgrade, or restoring tower integrity. Long-term progression is handled through retained currency and a shop that permanently expands the player’s starting options, including deck boxes, starting cards, and modular tower parts.

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to take a validated prototype concept and execute it through a complete commercial development cycle, from structured planning and system architecture to release preparation and post-launch support. The focus is on building a stable, scalable foundation for a content-heavy buildcraft game, where the tower system, deck system, and reward pacing can be expanded without compromising clarity or maintainability.

The project also serves as a practical production exercise in Blueprint-first development, emphasizing data-driven authoring for cards, tower parts, enemies, rewards, and wave structures. The intent is to establish reusable workflows, milestone gating, and repeatable playtest-driven iteration, while producing a finished game suitable for commercial release

Roadmap

• Validate project scope and production constraints
• Build and verify core gameplay loop prototype
• Establish data-driven content pipeline (cards, tower parts, waves, rewards)
• Produce a vertical slice at target quality (UI, visuals, audio, performance)
• Prepare a playable demo build for Steam event exposure
• Expand into a full end-to-end rough build (multi-biome progression)
• Stabilize and complete features and content (internal testing)
• Polish, balance, optimize, and validate externally
• Prepare release candidate and storefront operational readiness
• Release on Steam and provide post-launch support and iteration

End State

The intended end state is a commercially viable Steam release with a stable run loop, clear progression structure, and a modular tower and deckbuilding system that supports meaningful build variety. The final build will include multiple biomes with escalating difficulty, a functional meta shop and unlock structure, and a UI/UX layer designed to communicate cause-and-effect clearly during combat and reward selection.

Completion is defined by a feature-complete, performance-validated build with resolved critical issues, consistent content authoring workflows, and a production pipeline that supports ongoing iteration and post-launch updates. The project should stand both as a finished commercial release and as a documented example of a complete, repeatable development process.