Clever Crow Games has released the pre-alpha version of its 2D action-RPG A Dragon Named Coal. You can play it in your browser with keyboard and mouse, or a gamepad.
It’s described as a “dark fairytale” in which you play as the titular baby black dragon. As him, you move through a dark fantasy land that has been ripped apart by civil war. You can explore it freely as an open world, complete quests, join guilds, and meet a bunch of different characters, some of which will join your party.
Being a dragon, Coal has access to breathing fire as a weapon, as well as swinging a large sword and dashing. Other characters have their own abilities and can be customized by changing their gear and progressing them through a skill tree system.
One of the game’s big features is being able to affect all parts of the world through your actions (or inaction). As such, the heroes and villains you meet will be affected drastically by how you interact with them over time. “If a little girl is treated kindly, she’ll grow up to start a school. Abuse and torment her, she becomes a femme fatale running a gang of scoundrels,” explains the game’s creators.
Obviously, a lot of these features are yet to be implemented in A Dragon Named Coal, as it’s an ambitious title. But you can get a feel for the basic idea in the pre-alpha demo. For more information check out the game’s website.
