Betaking Studios, known for its upcoming roguelite card dueling game Duelite, is preparing to release the project on November 1, 2024. The game follows the Coust brothers as they strive to fulfill their dream of becoming sheriffs like their father, battling countless rivals across diverse routes. The game’s unique blend of roguelite mechanics and a Wild West setting has garnered attention, and in a recent interview, Andrés Jiménez, one of the two developers behind Duelite, shared insights about the game's creative process and development journey.

"Duelite is a project born purely out of our love for video games, and this is actually the first game we've ever developed—created by just two of us, without any budget," explained Jiménez. The developers, driven by passion rather than financial motives, embarked on this ambitious journey with the belief that they were creating something they themselves would love to play. "We didn't realize how complex it would be to create a roguelike deckbuilder, and it's certainly not an easy game for beginners to make. However, we were driven by passion, not by the goal of making something viral or financially successful."

The concept for Duelite draws direct inspiration from the board game Bang, which features cards that allow players to deal damage, dodge bullets, or apply status effects—perfectly fitting for a Wild West theme. "I've played it many times with friends, and it was always a lot of fun, so I thought it'd be great to create a video game set in the Wild West with similar mechanics," said Jiménez. This led the team to combine elements of strategic deck-building with roguelite features, ultimately drawing influence from renowned titles like Slay the Spire to craft a more immersive experience.

One of the game's standout mechanics is its dual-deck system, which enhances the depth of each run. "In Duelite, every run begins with two decks: an active deck and a passive deck," Jiménez elaborated. The active deck features cards used in combat, while the passive deck modifies stats and triggers effects at various stages during battles. This mechanic ensures that each run feels unique, offering players a fresh experience every time they play.

However, developing Duelite was not without its challenges. "The biggest challenge has been doing everything ourselves. With just two of us working on the game and being complete beginners, we've had to learn how to do everything," Jiménez admitted. From UI design and vector art to programming and marketing, the duo has handled every aspect of the game's creation. Balancing the game, in particular, has proven to be a difficult task, but their learning experience has been invaluable.

As the release date approaches, Betaking Studios is focused on ensuring that Duelite is as polished as possible. "Our initial focus will be on fixing bugs and improving the game post-launch," Jiménez shared. While they would love to expand the game's content, the small size of the team poses challenges. Nevertheless, if the game achieves significant success, they would consider adding more features.

With its unique combination of card dueling mechanics and a Wild West backdrop, Duelite promises to offer players a fresh take on the roguelite genre. Fans of strategic card games and roguelike adventures will find much to look forward to in this promising debut from Betaking Studios.