- Invoke Studios head Dominic Guay saysWarlock: Dungeons & Dragonshas “deep-cut” inspirations from the tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG)
- He adds that the game will still have a mystery for new and experiencedDungeons & Dragonsplayers
- Guay says, “We wanted players coming fresh, with no knowledge ofD&D, to kind of figure things out as they play”
Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons draws much inspiration from the tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG), but Invoke Studios head Dominic Guay says the game will still offer mystery for even experienced D&D players.
In an interview with TechRadar Gaming at Gamescom, Guay discussed the many “deep-cut” D&D elements Invoke applied to Warlock, such as monsters, items, and spells; he also touched on the game’s setting, Darkon, a realm within Ravenloft’s Domains of Dread.
Players can explore Darkon’s open world and uncover its secrets in the classic D&Dway, which will take “tens of hours,” confirming Warlock isn’t a 100-hour campaign.
“There have been books written about it. Some of it is deep cuts, but it’s still really good material we tapped into,” Guay said, but explained that it didn’t want to create a D&Dgame whose world experienced fans are already familiar with.
“We don’t want to create a game where if you know D&D, you’re like, ‘Oh, I know everything,'” he said. “We want players to live that mystery of figuring out, what‘s that place, what are the rules of that place? So a lot of players are familiar with Ravenloft, which is another Domain of Dread, and that’ll give them some insight into some of the things happening.
“But we wanted players coming fresh, with no knowledge of D&D, to kind of figure things out as they play.”
Guay also confirmed Warlock has many D&D tropes, whether that’s finding a secret door or dodging a trap, suggesting the game will be authentic to the TTRPG.
“We’re doing these things in a way that’s trying to replicate the feeling, but in real time without rolling down dice or doing these kinds of things,” he said.
Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons is slated to launch in 2027 for PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.
