Quinterra [Review] With a chance of winning a key!

Game Developer: Sidereal Studio

Publisher: Sidereal Studio

Platforms: PC

Review Platform: PC

Release Date: 7th April 2021

Genres: Early Access, Strategy

Mode: Single Player

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Quinterra is an engaging roguelite turn-based strategy from US Indie development team Sidereal Studio. It has been released in Early Access so our thoughts are based on the current version available but be aware, as it is early access not all features are fully operational and the game is not complete.

We highly recommend completing the tutorial offered, as it has a lot of mechanics and information that may not be easily picked up on by jumping straight into the game. A Wise Elder will talk you through the basics of the game and what can become of your expedition.

You have the choice of four races to begin your expedition:

Lycans Imps Crystalians Ethereals

All with their own unique story lines and and talent trees for the expedition which spans across three of five different regions accumulating units with a primary element and two primary species.

You begin in Draft Mode, this is for your preparation before ending your turn and shows each tiles available elements. You have two resources used to deploy, Mana is used to summon elites and for use with some abilities. Command Points are used to summon minions and structures. You gain 1 command point every turn with the max being 2 you can hold and Mana you gain 3 every turn with the maxim of 3 held. You can place one copy of an elite and two copies of a minion. But be aware once and elite is destroyed it costs more mana for a couple of turns to place. You earn gold and experience which is used to help build your army and you also have Crystals which are a key component which you attach to units to make them a lot more powerful.

The game is very unforgiving in the fact that full failure means losing your entire expedition and starting over. It is full of content, with over 200 total units, 400 unique abilities and 200 obtainable items with a lot more to come.

There are two elements which we are very interested in seeing develop, they are not fully operational as of yet but are under development. Moral system, which measures how healthy you team are and you will suffer disadvantages in battle when low or fail and expedition and begin at the start of current region on a level of zero. The other system is the talent system, help to evolve and adjust your team to your own gains and playability.

Summary of Quinterra is it is an interesting but challenging take on the genre with unique graphics which set it out from the rest. It is Early Acces so it still has a lot more to come and we will continue to support it.

7.5 of 10

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Below are some questions and answers with Sidereal Studio.

1. Explain the game?

Quinterra is a roguelite strategy game that features turn-based battles on a hexagonal tile grid that is procedurally generated. As you set off aboard your airship, you will recruit an army that is essential in helping you win an expedition.

2. How have you mixed strategy genres?

Quinterra combines features seen in table tops, card games, and roguelikes to present an experience unlike any other. Units have abilities you’re used to seeing in card games, while the battles themselves take place on a dynamic table top inspired board. Progression in Quinterra features the fun elements showcased in deckbuilders and incorporates them into a player choice inspired expedition system similar to that of strategy roguelikes.

3. What title/titles have inspired the team in creating Quinterra?

Hearthstone, Faeria, Slay the Spire and Magic: The Gathering.

4. What do you feel is unique about your game?

Quinterra offers different layers of strategic depth in combat with a unique drafting mechanic. This drafting mechanic allows you to extract elemental energies from the tiles on the board that can then be utilized to dynamically equip your army. Once a tile is drafted, it then falls off of the map which allows players to enact terrain based strategies as well.

5. What is innovative within Quinterra? Quinterra is innovative because we seek to break new ground by incorporating unique dynamic systems into a strategy game. While we are certainly inspired by other strategy games, we strive to set ourselves apart with tile destruction, drafting, and multi-faceted combat. These systems enable the player to have board layout control and enact synergistic combos in combat.

6. Who does your game appeal to?

Quinterra is made for strategy gamers who want a turn-based experience that has meaningful depth and player choice at its core.

7. Will Quinterra appeal to both hardcore and novice strategy gamers?

Quinterra has a definite learning curve. Players must first learn to master the drafting mechanic and how to traverse through tile elements appropriately. Upon learning the ins and outs of drafting, the possibilities are limitless with setting up synergies to help you win battles.

8. How easy/ difficult / intuitive is the game to get playing?

Quinterra starts you off with a small loadout and will gradually ramp you up along an expedition. You start out with a tutorial that covers all of the essential features of Quinterra. Upon tutorial completion you will set off on your first expedition as the Lycans where you will gather units, equipment, and gold to further build your army as you progress. The further along an expedition progresses the more options and choices are enabled for the player with more army assets to juggle.

9. For the average gamer how many hours of play do you feel it offers?

Quinterra’s early access launch has a target of providing at least 25 hours of content. 4 playable species, over 100 obtainable units, 200 equipment, and procedurally generated expedition layouts present multiple possibilities from one expedition to the next.

10. How long has development for the game been?

Development of Quinterra began in February 2019. Contributors: Channing Burell, Christopher Allen, Justin Dickerman-Stewart, Bradley Hill, Cameron Craig, Daniel Morales, Ed Mattinian, Joshua Morris

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

MINIMUM:

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system

OS: Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 (64bit only)

Processor: Intel Core i3-3225 3.3 GHz

Memory: 4 GB RAM

Graphics: Intel HD 4000, Intel Iris Pro 5200, equivalent AMD or NVIDIA GPU

DirectX: Version 11

Storage: 3 GB available space

RECOMMENDED:

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system

OS: Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10(64bit only)

Processor: Intel Core i5-7300U 3.5 GHz

Memory: 8 GB RAM

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660, AMD Radeon HD 7870, equivalent DX11 GPU