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

Andy Chalk
US News Lead

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

Latest in Card Game
A snakewoman holding a sickle
Magic: The Gathering's Tarkir: Dragonstorm set isn't just about dragons
A blue dragon rises into storm clouds
Wizards of the Coast throws a bone to players who miss vanilla Magic: The Gathering with a dragon-themed set called Tarkir: Dragonstorm
A joker card with other cards in the background
Balatro's publisher doesn't know how big the 1.1 update will be or when it's coming: 'He's just gonna show up one day and say, here's 100 new jokers'
The jester from Balatro, portrayed in unsettling detail in real life, wears an uncanny smile and stares at the viewer.
Balatro's LocalThunk isn't 'trying to pull a Banksy', he just 'wanted to be left alone to make his game'
Hands pushing poker chips on a table
Winning $2.6 billion in this poker videogame has completely ruined fake poker for me
A pack of real life Balatro cards.
The official Balatro Timeline documents the history of 2024's biggest game as its developer went from 'obsessed' with making it to 'shocked' at the reception
Latest in News
An Enshrouded player in a recreation of Erebor from The Lord of the Rings
Kings under the Mountain! 33 Enshrouded players spent 10,000 hours to recreate this iconic location from The Lord of the Rings
A mech awakens.
Mecha Break developer is considering unlocking all mechs following open beta feedback
Lara Croft Unified Art
Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics lays off 17 employees 'to better align our current business needs and the studio's future success'
A long bendy arm stealing money from people in a subway car
'You're a very long arm. You steal things. It's a comedy game,' explains developer of comedy game where you steal things with a very long arm
The heroes are attacked by monsters
Pillars of Eternity is getting turn-based combat to mark its 10th anniversary, and that means PC Gamer editors will soon be arguing about combat mechanics again
Image of Ronaldo from Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves trailer
It doesn't really make sense that soccer star Ronaldo is now a Fatal Fury character, but if you follow the money you can see how it happened