Sanctuary's Grasp
Playing the Windows version is recommended, as the WebGL is visually degraded.
A thousand years ago, Dwarvenkind was suffering. Beset on all sides, they lived a subsistence lifestyle far below the surface. To protect them, the Goddess of Safety and Comfort, Thrumalda, closed off the Dwarven lands of Fjellheim from the outside world and warded all of the exits.
Since then, the Dwarven people have thrived. Majestic cities built in colossal caves, lit by bioluminescent fungi, are a sight to see. However, not everyone is happy.
You are an acolyte of the Haelvanna, the Goddess of Exploration and Freedom. She has tasked you with undoing Thrumalda's wards and opening a path to the outside world.
What follows is up to you...
Sanctuary's Grasp is a weird little dungeon crawler made by one person in a week for Dungeon Crawler Jam 2023. Balance is off, it's content light, and it could use any playtesting, but that's game jams for you! It should take you around 45 minutes to complete. I approached the theme of duality by having two goddesses with conflicting purposes—prioritizing safety vs. prioritizing adventure—and having the player have to come down on one side or the other.
Playing the tutorial is highly recommended, as the battle system might be confusing otherwise.
Visually, Sanctuary's Grasp was inspired by a mix of Wizardry Dimguil for the game world and the UI of those charmingly ugly gridders from the 90s.
Controls are rebindable in the game. The entire game can also be controlled entirely using the mouse.
| Keyboard | Controller | |||
| Move | WASDQE | Arrow Keys | Keypad | D-Pad/Analog Stick |
| Wait | Space | A | ||
| Continue/Select | F | Enter | Keypad Enter | A |
| Inventory | I | T | Keypad + | Back |
| Pause | ESC | Start |
The game should theoretically support all modern controllers, although I've only tested it with an Xbox one.
Answers to the hints are hidden to avoid spoilers. Highlight the text to see the answer.
There's a closed door at the end of the Slugzone™!
- One door is open when you don't kill any slugs, and the other opens when you've killed at least five. Resting at a fountain resets both those numbers.
I'm having trouble beating Isaac!
- You shouldn't try to beat Isaac! Battling him is fundamentally a game over state. If you're looking to get the item in that area (which you should!), you need to dodge him.
- Turning will slow you down. Just move and strafe.
- Following the leftmost wall (but ignoring that one clear 3x3 detour) will get you there safely.
I'm having trouble beating the paladin.
- Try using the spear. It's in the zone with Isaac in it. (At the start of the second level, to the west upon entering).
Download
Development log
- Sanctuary's Grasp v1.0.2 (Post Jam Version)May 03, 2023
Comments
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The game is too much complicated.
This is excellent! A tactical brawler with additional combat options as a reward for exploration and puzzle solving. Simple but nuanced combat mechanics make gear selection the primary component of fights. Brilliantly, the player can shuffle gear around in the small space between having enough information to extrapolate what they should be doing and the moment where said plans start to manifest / fall apart.
I particularly love the mechanic where the player can choose to play out a fight or just take the damage they suffered in their best previous fight against that enemy type. It's perfectly suited for a puzzle game like this, but I think I'd like to see that migrate into RPGs with levels/grinding.
Last bit of praise - Going into a fight blind means losing, but winning doesn't mean playing "Guess What The Designed Was Thinking". The hint section on this page gives advice on the final fight, and it's not at all in line with how I managed it... and there were a few fights like that, where a couple of varied tactics work. That's the sweet spot of needing player engagement without punishing them for lack of telepathy.
Thanks for all the kind words! I think the secret to having a little bit of variability in the tactics department is being bad at this kind of game myself, so people try things that I wouldn't have even thought of. I made an enemy that I didn't think anyone would be able to beat, but people trounced it!
Nicely done game. Wish there were a continuation or extended version.
Tip for beating Isaac (read below):
use Shield, Aegis and Spear wisely ; )
Very cool mix of dungeon crawl with tactical battles. Really good battle system you got with the item loadout and delay systems. Clearly the last few enemies showed that there's a bunch you can do with debuff delays, piercing, reflect and all that. Was sad the game ended, can see potential for a bigger game with that concept. :)
Also loved the quality of life stuff like the game remembering who i beat and offering auto resolve.
Kevin, This was actually a fantastic game. The combat was very polished and well thought out, I think it could be added to even more to make it a much more enjoyable experience, but what you have made in seven days is a fantastic start. I loved making my way through the dungeon to find more weapons to play with in combat. I loved everything about this project and think you really pushed yourself as a game designer with this project. I would love to collaborate with you in the future if you ever need a voice actor. Feel free to check out my website: Langi Tuifua
This is a really complete and polished game, especially for only being done in 7 days! The menus and options are super professional and complete. The itch page is nicely styled. The combat is pretty confusing, even after going through the tutorial, but I think I was getting the hang of it. Maybe start with a healing potion or two, so you can experiment with the battle system without dying? Nice work, Kevin! The WebGL build worked great for me. (I'm on a Mac. :)