In February 2022, we chose Tormentis to win our Aquatik Loves Indies competition. The game was in its infancy, but it had everything we wanted.
Tormentis is a multiplayer indie action RPG where you can build dungeons and fight through them.
What more could you want?
So, what exactly is Tormentis?
Tormentis is not just another multiplayer RPG game. It’s a unique experience where you can build and improve your dungeon or venture into other players’ dungeons, offering a gameplay that’s familiar ARPG gameplay and dungeon building with endless community-driven replayability.
In Tormentis, you can either manage your dungeon, optimizing its defenses by watching replays of players attacking it or pick up a weapon and try to expose the weaknesses of community-built dungeons.
There’s no class system; players instead optimize skills and equipment builds. You can play for trophies and rewards in leagues or trade for opportunities directly or through the auction house.
Tormentis is a combination of Path of Exile and Dungeon Keeper. You can check out Tormentis in Early Access from 22 July 2024.
Tormentis’ development process was full of traps and trouble
Like many indie games in early development, Tormentis faced numerous issues and technical challenges. However, with the support and feedback from their community, they overcame many of these hurdles and made significant progress. This is a game that’s truly shaped by its players.
As any indie developer will know, the more you test your game, the more problems you’ll find. Tormentis’ biggest concern was building dungeons over several floors, which meant the entire system needed a redesign.
The first playable offline demo was ready a year later, but players were more interested in how the multiplayer would work. This isn’t to say that they didn’t enjoy it, but it wasn’t exactly what they were looking for.
The developers admitted that the demo’s focus was wrong. Multiplayer interactions make Tormentis unique and should have always been the focus.
The multiplayer demo was ready and well-received in December 2023. Fans of Mighty Quest for Epic Loot and Meet Your Maker seemed to love it.
There were talks with potential publishers, but Tormentis will ultimately be released without one. After all, the industry has been a mess in recent years, and with so many layoffs and closures, the risks were too high.
However, thanks to the developer’s incredible dedication, Tormentis is finally functionally complete and ready for Early Access.
The success of Tormentis, like many indie games, will rely heavily on the Early Access community helping out. If this sounds like your kind of game, we recommend you buy Tormentis in Early Access and tell the game’s lovely devs that Indie Bandits sent you.
Keep celebrating indies, everyone!
Indie Bandits 