Making Tetra Tactics, the Final Fantasy mini-game inspired title that wasn't meant to exist

gamesindustry.biz:

Roguelike deckbuilder Tetra Tactics exited Early Access after a year and a half yesterday, finally making it to its full release on Steam.

If you're not familiar with the name, it might be because the title was called Card Craft up until a couple of weeks ago – it was changed due to a trademark issue, just in time to release into the world.

This small blip aside, lead developer Jabari Alii says the development process for the title was smooth sailing. And that's partially due to the fact this game wasn't really meant to exist in this form, removing some of the pressure associated with aiming for a big commercial release.

"Tetra Tactics actually started as me taking a break from a bigger project – it was meant to be a three-month, small project, just a palette cleanser [as] I was working on this big elaborate action-RPG," Alii laughs.

He continues: "I actually started out in music. I went to Howard University, studied music education, and then about six or seven years ago, I started working on video games, doing music and sound design, and game jams. And then I slowly started to explore other avenues: game design, engineering, etc. I eventually started making my own games and got into teaching and working for various nonprofits."

Tetra Tactics is inspired by the Final Fantasy mini-game Triple Triad, Alii says, adding that he's a huge card game and RPG lover.

"What started out as this small thing slowly gained momentum [as] I was sharing it with people in my circle, and so eventually folks wanted to work on it with me, and we started thinking of these slightly more grand ideas and mechanics."

Alii brought on his friend and "genius engineer" Adrian Marple, as well as solo developer Manadream, and the three of them started development proper, with Tetra Tactics releasing in early access in September 2022.

Steam's Early Access has helped propel some indie hits to success in the past, such as Slay the Spire, but can also seem like a scary prospect for a small indie dev. But Alii