The Art Of… Duelyst

A Dive Into The Art Of Duelyst

By Suzanne Verras

Hey you, just stop for a minute and look at this artwork. Isn’t it amazing? It’s from a tactical turn-based strategy game called Duelyst, by Counterplay games.

Duelyst is made by veteran developers and creators of Diablo III, Rogue Legacy and the Ratchet & Clank series. It started as a tabletop game amongst friends, but it is being built into a digital game. You control a squad in short 1v1 match, where you have to defeat the opponents general. While playing the game you will collect upgrades and spells to make your squad better and you’ll have to use tactics and outsmart your opponents to win the game.

Now we know what kind of game we are looking at, let’s focus on the artwork. There are different factions in the game; at launch there will be 5, which all come with their own style.

There is the Songhai Empire, which seems to be some kind of ancient Chinese faction. They find their strength from inner peace, but they are deadly as skillful ninjas when push comes to shove. Sharp blades are their weapons, with which any enemy can be sliced into pieces.

Next to that there is the faction of the Lyonar Kingdom, great knights, fighting like lions in the heat of battle. They aren’t afraid to face their enemies, roaring with strength. A lion as their symbol makes clear how strong and loyal these knights are.

The Sharian Host have a real femme fatale as their bloodborn general, a sort of poisonous witch you don’t want to mess with. Her appearance reminds of an evil mage, wanting to destroy the world with her dark spells.

Next up is the Vetruvian Empire with a general who’s a combination between a robot and the grim reaper, with his skull-like face. Death will be upon every enemy he will encounter, that’s for sure.

Last but not least is the Abyssian. The Abyssian general is a majestic beast; a creature with a bull’s body, a lizard’s tail and a bird’s hind legs. The massive horns make it look like it has come out of hell itself.

Another thing Duelyst promises is a gorgeous and rich landscape and judging from the concept art, that is definitely going to be the case. The art features some beautifully sculpted worlds, mixing fantasy and sci-fi, by placing immense structures and cities floating high up above the ground. The bright colors and contrast give it just the bit of magic that it needs.

The game itself is more pixelated with your squad placed on the board as little sprites, but the different kind of factions and the landscaped still come out beautifully. From dry deserts to icy plains, it all looks like a board game come to life. The subtle grid lets you know where you can place your squad members, but it doesn’t distract from the landscape. It just feels like you are attending a match between two factions in a faraway fantasy land.

If this was not enough to convince you of the awesomeness and beauty of Duelyst, there is also a reward if you donate $15, or more, which gives you a Shibe Skin for your Songhai General. I think Doge will approve!

You can head over to the Duelyst Kickstarter for more information on the game, its funding period lasts until April 9th.