Stray Gods studio reveals its next game, an ‘unholy roguelite deckbuilder’ about hunting demons in a festering city

Following the success of the musical RPG Stray Gods, Summerfall Studios has unveiled its next project: a “demonic roguelite deckbuilder” called Malys.

The Kickstarter pre-launch page—and yes, it’s going to Kickstarter—lays out the story, written by former Dragon Age lead writer and Summerfall co-founder David Gaider: “As Noah, former priest turned exorcist and demon hunter, you ride the streets of this festering city in the dead of night. The city teems with demons, and among them lies your prey: Malys, a demon of extraordinary cunning and power.

“Use your deck to expose the rot within. Find unique combinations and strategies to withstand the horrors. Help the hopeless and free the possessed, or die in the attempt… over and over again.”

Kickstarters aren’t what they used to be and finding success with any sort of crowdfunding is tough, in part because of all the stories we’ve heard over the years about campaigns that ended badly. Summerfall told Game Informer—yes, it’s back—that it’s looking to take a different approach to its crowdfunding than most: Instead of asking for money for something that might be out in two or three years, Summerfall hopes to have Malys in full release within six months of the start of the campaign.

“To achieve that goal, we need your backing, support and feedback,” the studio said. “So few studios get to release a second game, and the second project is often the one that can provide studio stability and longevity. We need your help to make Malys a reality that can be another brick in the path of character-driven, story-focused, comprehensive single player experiences free of endless microtransactions and never-ending roadmaps.”

The Kickstarter for Malys is set to get underway sometime in April. Assuming it’s a success, and Summerfall can keep to its plan, that means the game should be ready for launch by the end of the year.