Top-down ARPG · Wave defense
Unbound Shield
Summoned hero Kael Durst is falsely accused on day one, stripped of allies, bound to a Cardinal Shield he cannot remove — and cannot use to deal damage. He buys demi-human Saya from a slave market because she’s the only person willing to stand near him. Monthly Rifts tear reality; Trust is the upgrade system; time never stops.
Shield cannot attack · Saya is the blade
Perfect Block → 2s counter window for Saya
Combat
The shield cannot attack
Kael: Perfect Block parries (4-frame window), Barrier, Shield Bash knockback, Absorb cores into shield variants. No attack button. Saya auto-attacks; click to focus targets. Perfect Block opens a 2s counter window — her damage ×2.5 at Trust 1, ×3.5 at Trust 5.
Trust 4 unlocks Dual Technique: bash cluster + Saya AOE spin. Trust 5: Saya asks to remove the slave crest. She stays. “I know. I just wanted to choose it.”
Twelve shield variants from absorption — Slime regen, Chitin +1 parry frame, Void boss bonus. One active at a time.
Rifts & story
Time pressure · permanent scars
Rift countdown always visible. Miss a Rift and villages take permanent damage. Four acts across a 20-week cycle: false accusation, fugitive status, political trial, final largest Rift.
Three Vessel Heroes (Spear, Sword, Bow) each get optional reconciliation arcs. Minister Vael manufactured the accusation. Ending branches on who you forgave.
Inspired by shield-bearer fantasy structure — original IP. itch.io free demo → Steam $12.99. Jamie Brownhill Solaria kit.
