Doomtrooper, the '90s collectible card game, is going digital

Doomtrooper is a collectible card game, based on the Mutant Chronicles RPG setting, that was originally released in the 1990s. It's still around, apparently—there's a website up at thewinternet.com if you want to delve deeper—and now there's a new project underway aimed at bringing it to the world of digital CCGs.

Developers Secret Cow Level and Cabinet Entertainment already have a playable alpha finished, and now they've taken the project to Kickstarter, where they hope to raise $15,000 to put the finishing touches on it. The goal will see the completion of the "base game," with 1v1 online multiplayer and a set of 400 cards, but of course there are stretch goals in place as well: Hitting $20,000 will enable the development of a card crafting system, $25,000 will add login rewards and daily "quests," and $30,000 will enable the creation of a Linux version.

The alpha version of Doomtrooper as it stands "looks and plays solid," but cards and systems are still being added and tweaked. "Alpha tests are more focused and usually have some gameplay systems disabled," Secret Cow Level founder Justin Reynard said. "Alpha testing is more reserved and under NDA to prevent sharing and streaming as we’re still testing and implementing core systems." 

The plan as it stands is to launch an initial beta "in the coming months ... when we are content complete and have what we think are near final cards," the Kickstarter pitch says. "This will allow us to collect feedback to really test balance, deckbuilding and any specific feedback we wish to address to improve the game experience. Missing from these tests: Storefront, final animations and graphics. We will begin inviting more people who back the project or want to help make the game better." 

A second round of beta testing will be more focused on polish, while the "estimated delivery" date—"The goal to have the core game complete and be in heavy balance testing, if not further," Reynard explained—is January 2018. 

The Doomtrooper Kickstarter went live today and got off to a running start, having already pulled in well over half of its base goal. The campaign will run until October 25, and you can sign up for beta access at doomtroopergame.com.