A hero crosses a wooden bridge over a river of glowing lava in the Lava Chasm.

Games Pocket Warden

In development

Pocket Warden

A pixel-art action RPG

A pixel-art action RPG where every fight is readable, every drop is worth inspecting and every region has its own rules.

Watch gameplayView screenshotsContact the studio

Overview

What is Pocket Warden?

Pick one of nine heroes and push back the Demon King's armies through forest, graveyard, lava chasm, orc camp and fortress. Combat is real-time and built around reading enemy attacks, dodging through danger and breaking bosses in multiple phases. Between runs you return to a living village to forge gear, take quests and prepare for the next push.

In development. Playable internal build. No public release date has been announced.

Genre
2D Action RPG / Pixel Art / Hack & Slash
Platform
Web browser (desktop, keyboard & mouse, gamepad supported)
Players
Single player, with local two-player co-op on one keyboard
Language
Vietnamese (in-game text). English localisation not yet announced.
Developer
Elie Studio

Highlights

What makes it tick

  • Nine heroes

    Knight, Swordsman, Archer, Wizard, Priest, Templar, Lancer, Mercenary and Axeman, each with their own skill kit and playstyle.

  • Readable, dodgeable combat

    Enemy attacks are telegraphed with red danger zones. Dash frames let you slip through damage; shield heroes can parry for a stun.

  • Boss fights in phases

    Region bosses change behaviour below half health, adding new attacks and tighter timing.

  • Deep loot

    Rarity tiers, random affixes, enchanting and a forge for crafting and upgrading equipment.

  • Endless challenges

    After the story: a Tower of Trials, an endless Abyss, and New Game+ with scaled enemies.

  • A village that lives

    A hub with merchants, a blacksmith, quest givers, a farm and fishing, plus a day and night cycle with weather.

Playable heroes

Nine ways to fight

  • Frontline

    Knight

    Shield parry, Double Slash and a burning Flame Blade.

  • Fast melee

    Swordsman

    Bleed-focused strikes ending in the held, rapid Hundred-Blade Thrust.

  • Ranged

    Archer

    Piercing shots and a seven-arrow Arrow Rain.

  • Elemental caster

    Wizard

    Three elements - fire, ice and lightning - each with its own skill line.

  • Support

    Priest

    Holy bolts, healing and a nova of divine judgement.

  • Holy guardian

    Templar

    An aura that heals allies and scorches foes, plus a shield parry.

  • Reach & mobility

    Lancer

    Long thrusts, a charging ice lance and a leaping strike.

  • Buffer

    Mercenary

    A war cry that boosts damage and speed, and explosive rockets.

  • Berserker

    Axeman

    Whirling axe strikes that hit harder as health runs low.

The world

Five places, five palettes

  1. A medieval village square with a fountain, a blacksmith, an inn and market tents.

    Dawn Village

    The hub. Forge gear, hire companions, accept quests and recover.

  2. A forest path winding between large oaks, fallen logs and a carved standing stone.

    Whispering Forest

    The opening region: slimes, bats, orcs and werewolves, guarded by a Werebear.

  3. An overgrown cemetery gate with blue spirit flames, gravestones and twisted trees.

    Forgotten Graveyard

    Skeleton soldiers and archers patrol ruined grounds ruled by a Necromancer.

  4. Red earth, cracked basalt and glowing lava seams around a banner-marked waystone.

    Lava Chasm

    Demons, hellhounds and lava slimes under the eye of a Flame Golem.

  5. An orc war camp with hide tents, red banners, weapon racks and a worn dirt road.

    Orc Camp

    A fortified warband camp, reachable in either order alongside the Lava Chasm.

Gameplay

Watch Pocket Warden in action

Recorded from the current build; visuals and balance are still changing. Videos load only when you press play.

Dawn VillageThe hub between expeditions: merchants, the blacksmith and the central square.
Whispering Forest - WerebearA boss fight in the first region, with telegraphed attacks and floating damage numbers.
Forgotten Graveyard - NecromancerA night expedition through the cemetery ending in a boss fight.
Lava Chasm - Flame GolemDodging the red danger zones of the Lava Chasm's guardian.
Orc Camp - Red BladeThe orc camp boss sweeps the arena with a wide, telegraphed slash.
Demon King's Castle (prototype)An early look at the fortress interior. Work in progress.

Systems

Under the hood

  • Skills & progression

    Six skill slots, a skill tree, level-based growth and unlockable ultimate skills and divine weapons.

  • Status effects

    Burn, bleed, poison, chill and more, applied by heroes and enemies alike.

  • Companions

    Hire AI allies in the village, or play two-player on one keyboard.

  • Bestiary & achievements

    An in-game codex records the monsters and bosses you've met, with achievements to chase.

  • Controls

    Mouse-driven point-and-click combat by default, with alternative WASD, gamepad and touch controls.

  • Runs in a tab

    Built on HTML5 Canvas and JavaScript with no engine or install. Saves live in your browser.

Credits

Credits & attributions

World art direction by Elie Studio.

  • Hero and enemy character sprites — Tiny RPG Character Asset Pack 01 & 02
  • Underground monsters, cave tiles and cursors — Debts in the Depths by Rama "Reaktori" Hannula
  • Interface frames, buttons, slots, health and mana orbs — RPG UI pack by Franuka (franuka.itch.io)

Screenshots show a work-in-progress build; visuals and balance will change before any release.

Interested in Pocket Warden?

For press, publishing or collaboration enquiries, reach the studio directly.

Contact Elie Studio