Revel is a card game that follows in the footsteps of poker and blackjack, the flagships of the genre. It differentiates itself primarily by being a suit-based game. The four suits are divided into three categories: Revel, Sister and Petty. Which suit falls into which category changes each hand depending on the dealer's first card and that dictates how each card interacts with one another. The player also has a choice of facing the dealer's eventual four-card hand with three, four or five cards and must decide which option is most efficient as the hand evolves.

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I published Revel in early 2021. It was an overdue outlet for my lifelong love of card games. At the end of working on Madu Maths, the urge to create a new card game began to simmer within me as I read through James McManus' exploration of poker history, Cowboys Full. I learned about primiera, an Italian card game widely considered to be one of the earliest precursors of poker and even bridge. Its avital relationship to these more modern games extends to Revel, and more poignantly too, due to their shared emphasis on suit-based gameplay. Off these building blocks, I wanted to build a game that carries on this rich card game legacy, or at least celebrates it. 

 

This time around, I pushed myself far beyond my comfort zone so I could expand my technological and artistic skillset to create a product of much higher quality than what I've ever made. I associated myself with new software like Painter, Inkscape, Tracktion, Blender and Unity's audio mixer, and new hardware as well, like my new Wacom, digital piano and audio interface. With these, I learned new techniques and made assets I would never have believed I could manage. Though there were many teething issues, I eventually trudged my way up to a new peak of confidence as an all-rounder game developer. I could not be prouder with the final result (except perhaps if I had worked more on the legibility of my handwriting, sorry folks) and I know my next venture will be even sweeter. For now though, please do give Revel a go, particularly those who enjoy card games with a bit more thinking. It is available for purchase in the stores listed below for Android, PC and Mac.