The Chain of Life mixes RPG, card game, and visual novel elements into one

Written by. Nick Mosier based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-07-04 12:35 JST)

Solo game developer Evolve has announced Inochi Shibari (The Chain of Life). The game is slated to release on Steam and will be seeking crowdfunding via the Japanese website Campfire starting July 7.

The Chain of Life is part visual novel, part card game, and part RPG. The game takes place in a fantasy world called Noa where a falling star sets the story of multiple young people in motion. The story is told in an omnibus style across multiple characters.

The game is divided between multiple gameplay styles. In the RPG sections, players are free to walk around and explore open forests, caves, and towns. Dungeon exploration and battles are carried out via cards. Flipping over cards on the table will cause various events to occur. Battles see players use cards with numbers written on them against their opponent’s cards.

The RPG and card sections are connected with visual novel sections focused on the story and characters. While the RPG sections mix pixel art and 3D graphics and the card sections take place on a tabletop, the visual novel parts show conversations and cutscenes with character portraits. The Chain of Life seems to take multiple games and bring them all together into one.

The Chain of Life is being developed by solo developer Evolve who describes themselves as a vocational student who wishes to make games. While the backgrounds and music use premade assets, everything from the programming to the character illustrations and pixel art are being done by Evolve. It’s been half a year since development began on the game and Evolve says they want to improve the overall quality. They’ve first set their sights on completing a beta version and will be seeking crowdfunding via the Japanese website Campfire.

As for what the money will be used for, Evolve says they want to commission an outside party to work on elements like the illustrations, backgrounds, and music, as well as improve other aspects. Those who contribute 1,000 yen (roughly $7.40) or more will receive a key for the beta version which is scheduled to release in March of 2023. The game is currently in a prototype state, so development will take time, but Evolve says it’s their dream to release it without any regrets. Furthermore, the game is being developed in Unity.

The Chain of Life is scheduled to release on PC (Steam) in 2024. For those interested, be sure to check out the Campfire page.