Classic-Style PS4/PC Tactical RPG Children Of Zodiarcs Out Now

The latest game from Square Enix's indie-focused Collective unit has been released. Children of Zodiarcs, a "deck and dice" tactical RPG reminiscent of Final Fantasy Tactics and Fire Emblem, is now available for PlayStation 4 and PC.

Developed by Cardboard Utopia, an indie studio comprised of industry veterans, Children of Zodiarcs features classic tactical RPG gameplay with dice-rolling and deck-building elements. Players maneuver their party around a grid-based map, then roll dice and use the cards in their deck to attack foes. You can watch a trailer for the game below.

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The story follows a band of thieves led by Nahmi who break into a noble's vault to steal a priceless artifact. However, the heist doesn't go quite as planned; the group is pursued by guards armed with deadly Zodiarc weapons and must escape from their assailants through the slums of Torus.

Creative director Jason Kim says the game was inspired by the tactical RPGs he used to play during the 16- and 32-bit eras. "I had been craving a good tactical RPG for years, something like the ones I used to play during the 16 and 32 -bit era (looking at you, PSone!)," he said in a post on the PlayStation Blog. "But I couldn’t find all that in the games I was playing. That's why the characters in Children of Zodiarcs part with the tradition of the 'pure-hearted-heroes-of-destiny.' They don't try to save the world, so much as survive it."

Children of Zodiarcs is available to download for $18. You can watch more footage of the tactical RPG in action here. The Square Enix Collective was established as a way for the Japanese publisher to help smaller independent studios market, test, and fund their titles. Other games that have been released under the Square Enix Collective banner include The Turing Test and Goetia, as well as the upcoming World War II first-person shooter Battalion 1944.