Prodigy: a strategy RPG played with real world figurines

March 26, 2014 7:00 AM

What would Skylanders look like if it were designed specifically for adults? That seems to be the question Hanakai Studio is asking with its upcoming Prodigy, a strategy RPG that uses real-world figurines much like Activision's action game. Player characters are represented by figurines, each containing a unique ID and NFC tag. By placing figurines on a specially designed board, the game will know where a character is facing--all while keeping track of XP and other unique attributes for the character.

Prodigy

The figurines are of a different caliber than the toys used in Disney Infinity and its ilk. These detailed 60mm scale figures look worthy of placing on your shelf. Hanakai also aims on having unpainted figurines, for hardcore players that enjoy doing their own paint work. With figurines in hand, players will be able to wage battle. Parties can support a Guardian, Watcher, and a Companion--some are humanoid, while others are lumbering beasts. Players can place their characters on the front of the board to gain maximum attack, towards the back for maximum defense, or get a balance of both by being in the middle. Watchers can be placed behind Guardians for added protection--but there are area attacks to be mindful of. Once characters are placed, actions can be taken by using various cards, like Attack, Defend, and more. Dropping a card on the board will have the game trigger an animation that plays on the TV screen. The end result is reminiscent of Eye of Judgment or Yu-Gi-Oh!. We had a chance to play the game at a GDC preview, and found the combat to be a bit simplistic. However, the novelty of having high-quality figurines in a more adult-oriented RPG game is certainly high. It's impossible to deny the genre appeal, especially given how high quality the figurines are. The Unreal Engine-powered visuals of the game are also impressive as well. To make the game a reality, Hanakai Studio is looking to crowdfund the game on Kickstarter in early April. Details on how much the base set will cost hasn't been announced. But given the inclusion of a base, at least two figurines, and the game itself, it's unlikely to be a cheap game to get into.

Shacknews' crowdfunding policy requires games to have a prototype for front-page coverage.

Andrew Yoon

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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March 26, 2014 7:00 AM

Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Prodigy: a strategy RPG played with real world figurines.

What would Skylanders look like if it were designed specifically for adults? That seems to be the question Hanakai Studio is asking with its upcoming Prodigy, a strategy RPG that uses real-world figurines much like Activision's action game.
- daggot
  
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  March 26, 2014 8:47 AM
  
  This video is private
  
  :(
  - daggot
    
     reply
    March 26, 2014 8:51 AM
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pc_y47NAGU
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cqt-UkerhmE
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffsw5_0Qw10
- vertdang
  
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  March 26, 2014 8:47 AM
  
  I'd be happier if they weren't pre-painted. I guess a test bottle of Simple Green will see if the paint comes off.
  - DedlokPM
    
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    March 26, 2014 9:02 AM
    
    I'd be happier if you read the article before commenting.
    
    "Hanakai also aims on having unpainted figurines, for hardcore players that enjoy doing their own paint work."
- waxthirteen
  
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  March 26, 2014 8:56 AM
  
  need to see what the gameplay is like, but yeah i could totally see myself buying all of this stuff.
- Gwyndion
  
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  March 26, 2014 9:55 AM
  
  Golem Arcana is kind of doing a similar thing.
  
  http://golemarcana.com
  - waxthirteen
    
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    March 26, 2014 11:46 AM
    
    i think Golem Arcana is aiming to be a traditional style table top game with a digital twist, whereas this looks to be Skylanders for adults.
- pimpium
  
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  March 26, 2014 12:46 PM
  
  Can I Smack my bitch up?
- Longgshot
  
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  March 28, 2014 3:54 PM
  
  "Players can place their characters on the front of the board to gain maximum attack, towards the back for maximum defense, or get a balance of both by being in the middle."
  
  That is quite counter-intuitive. Maximum defense should be on the front, defending the ones on the back specially if "Watchers can be placed behind Guardians for added protection".