It’s been quite a while since my last public update, but I want to reassure you that development on Jumara is still ongoing. While there have been delays and several fundamental redesigns, I continue to work steadily whenever I have time available on improving the game in small, meaningful ways.

At several points, the project reached a playable state, but the gameplay didn’t meet my own standards for enjoyment and balance. The previously introduced Pathway system, while promising in structure, ended up overshadowing the card-based core of the game, which should remain the true heart of the experience.

That’s why I’ve been working hard  still am on a substantial redesign of the game’s central loop. While I understand it may be difficult to connect all the dots with the limited information available, I believe that, once this new structure is complete, I’ll finally have a gameplay loop that feels solid and satisfying. Hopefully, this will bring me one step closer to an updated alpha release.

I won’t make promises or set any dates yet, but I’m optimistic. This new path feels like what Jumara truly needed. I admit that part of me would like to finish Jumara and move on to the many other ideas I have but out of respect for the time I’ve invested, Jumara deserves a release.

Even if the result won’t be a perfect representation of the vision I had in mind, the journey has taught me so much already, and I’m proud of how far the project has come. Releasing it would be a major milestone one that closes a chapter and opens a new one.

The deeper I go, the more I’m tempted to keep adding features. I often forget that my initial goal was just to create a card-opening experience, a simple digital binder with a pack-opening animation. Something basic, something fun. Ironically, a game like Pokemon later did exactly that, and much better than I would’ve imagined with beautiful visuals and clean UI.

Even back then, after building that basic milestone in just a few hours, I found myself chasing ways to make it more visually polished... and then wondering how the cards could be used for something more meaningful than just collecting. That spark triggered a long series of iterations blocking stages with placeholder art, testing, tinkering, iterating and suddenly, I was stuck in a loop of constant feature additions: "What if I added this system? What if I tried an interface-only gameplay concept? What if I..."

A year passed. I alternated between periods of burnout, deep design theory, and bursts of practical development. And through it all, I’ve realized: simplicity is the hardest thing to achieve.

So I’ll keep chasing that designing systems and games that, first and foremost, satisfy me. I’m sorry if Jumara won’t be the right game for your tastes or style. This project has been more of a personal challenge than a product meant for mass appeal.

This post is not so much an update as it is a checkpoint for myself. I don’t know when the next written devlog will be but I’ll continue building Jumara until this first arc feels complete.

The New Core Gameplay System

The main structure of Jumara is shifting away from the Pathway system. While the old Pathway will still exist in a limited form, the main gameplay loop will now revolve around selecting from one of three Totem Heads at the beginning of each encounter. These Totems determine the nature and difficulty of the battle.

Each Totem has a base composition made of three primary stats:

1. Energy (HP) – This is the number of energy units required to "recharge" the totem and complete the encounter. It replaces traditional enemy health. Easier Totems may require 5–10 Energy; harder ones can go up to 50.
2. TOX Limit – This value dictates how many TOX actions (card plays) the player can make before losing the encounter. The fewer the TOX actions, the harder the battle.
3. Sacrifice Triggers (formerly "damage number pattern") – This represents how many times the Totem will inflict consequences on the player during the TOX sequence. We're reinterpreting this mechanic as spiritual or ritualistic retaliation, fitting the theme of ancient mystical Totems.

Rewards Structure

Each encounter will grant a combination of the following rewards:

• Stamina: Restores stamina used between fights.
• HP: Heals a portion of the player’s lost health.
• Tokens: The game’s currency, used in Pathway segments or other systems.

Pathway Flip Mechanic

While the traditional Pathway has been retired as the core loop, it’s not gone. Certain Totems will allow a limited number of Pathway Flips, giving players temporary access to the old navigation system. This makes Pathway a powerful resource, strategically used only a few times per run.

Totem Traits: Run Modifiers

The most impactful aspect of this new system will be the Totem Traits unique modifiers that personalize each run. These traits will be divided into two types:

• Temporary Effects – These only apply during the selected encounter.
• Permanent Traits – These are rare, powerful effects that persist throughout the entire run. Totems with permanent effects may appear in a special golden ("shiny") version.

Some example traits:

• Set Pathway Flips to 0 (skipping post-encounter Pathway access).
• Disable the Graveyard (reducing the effectiveness of Scrap and Recycle mechanics).
• +1 card in hand / -1 card in hand.
• Extra Mulligan / No Mulligan.

These modifiers will be the core of build diversity and create compelling player choices with every totem selection.

That’s all for now. I’ll continue shaping this system until it feels like the right foundation for Jumara’s future.