During the second day of Essen Spieltagen - the largest tabletop gaming convention on Earth, this year drawing a record number of 200,000 visitors - we spoke with the amazing Joel Torres of Synergic Games. Here is what he had to say about the upstart publisher's first games!
LifeBytes Magazine: Tell me a bit about your company and what you're working on.
Joel: Sure! Synergic Games is a Spanish publisher. We started our first big project through crowdfunding. Our campaign for Blades of Honor launched at the end of 2021, and we were thrilled to deliver the game to over 4,000 backers this past summer. Blades of Honor is a highly narrative-driven campaign game for up to four players. It’s very much in the style of classic miniatures games, with detailed figures and an old-school feel. Our goal was to create an immersive experience, so we focused on weaving the narrative into the gameplay itself, instead of having players read large chunks of story before or after each game session.
So the narrative is integrated into the gameplay itself, rather than being something separate?
Exactly! The story unfolds as you play, with small bits of information revealed at key moments. Each character in the game has their own personal story, and we provide players with a character-specific booklet. The choices they make influence the narrative and lead to multiple possible endings. For example, in the core game, you progress through two massive acts with up to 16 different endings depending on your decisions. When you move into Act 2, some characters from the first act might still be around, while others might be gone – or even turn into enemies. The world evolves based on the players' actions
That’s definitely a unique twist! It sounds like you’re focusing not just on the typical dungeon-crawler experience but on something more.
Yes, we wanted to capture the feeling of an adventure rather than just focusing on dungeon crawling or a tactical "boots on the ground" experience. The game is set in a fantasy version of Japan during the feudal era, and we had several Japanese cultural advisors working with us to ensure the accuracy of the stances, weapons, and armor. It was important for us to do our research to represent the culture respectfully, even though it’s a fantasy setting.
That’s really interesting. I know from working with a Japanese film festival that there's often frustration about how Japanese culture is represented in media, especially when non-Japanese creators are involved. It’s great to hear you had that level of involvement from cultural experts.
Yeah, we really wanted to avoid those typical misrepresentations. It was important to us to create characters and behaviors that felt authentic without reducing them to stereotypes. We know it’s not a historical game, but we wanted elements of the culture to feel genuine. In the game, your group is working against a dark Shogun, a figure who has overthrown the former emperor, and each character has their own personal motivations for being involved in the story. They don’t just start out as a group of heroes – they grow, learn to work together, and evolve as the campaign progresses.
That character development sounds refreshing compared to the typical "start as a hero, save the world" storyline.
Exactly! Even the villains have complex motivations. You might encounter an enemy early on, and later, depending on your choices, they might interact with you in entirely different ways. It's all about creating an immersive, evolving world.
It sounds like there’s a lot of freedom in how the characters can approach the game.
That’s right. Even though it’s a cooperative game, each player has the freedom to act independently. This prevents the common issue where one player tries to dictate what everyone else does. Every character can pursue their own missions and storylines. On top of that, each character is linked to a Kami – a Japanese deity – and their affinity with that Kami grows throughout the campaign, granting new skills and abilities. There’s also a resurrection mechanic tied to the Kami, so if a character dies, they are brought back by the deity they are linked to.
I like that element – it adds depth to the game. Tell me more about the dungeon-crawling aspect.
In the exploration phase, we’ve created mechanics that emphasize immersion. It’s not just about beautiful miniatures and artwork, but also about engaging gameplay mechanics. For example, we added dynamic AI for the enemies, so their behavior changes based on the positioning and stats of the characters. There are also unique events for each zone you explore, with over 800 unique events in total. These events are designed to tie into the narrative, so as you play, you’re constantly uncovering new parts of the story.
That sounds really appealing for role-players, too.
Definitely. Players have the option to role-play their characters’ personal missions however they like. Some might choose to keep things secret from the group, while others might share everything. It adds an extra layer of choice and customization to how the game unfolds.
What about the miniatures? What kind of production process are you using?
We’re working with Chinese factories for production. It’s really the only place we could produce these kinds of high-quality miniatures, but we’ve taken steps to ensure ethical practices, such as banning child labor and shortening work hours in our contracts. Our miniatures come pre-assembled, and the detail is amazing – some are as large as 18 cm. We also worked with top sculptors to make sure that everything from weapons to clothing is designed with incredible attention to detail.
That’s impressive. And I hear you have another project in the works?
Yes! We’re launching a new game on Gamefound in February 2025. This one’s a completely card-based roguelike deck builder, a very different style from Blades of Honor. It’s focused on building and improving your deck as you progress, with each run allowing you to start with a better deck and get further into the game. It’s an exciting new direction for us!
Sounds great! I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for it. Thanks for your time, Joel!
More info: www.synergicgames.com/en
Dirk Vandereyken
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