Update: As I’ve been keeping tabs on this one for a while, I wanted to make sure that more of you good people are aware that there is now a Kickstarter campaign for Feed the Scorchpot.
The campaign started today, and I’m delighted to report that it has already reached its funding target, but don’t let that stop you from getting involved, as there are stretch goals still to reach. In fact, the first goal is for a deckbuilding mode, which I’d quite like to try, so make it happen for me, people!!
Anyway, this dragon-powered, culinary-themed board game-inspired puzzle roguelike is already in promising shape, as you’ll discover if you read my demo impressions, below the game’s most recent trailer.
Original: You wait ages for a food-themed roguelike to turn up and then, like buses, two arrive at once. The first to get here was Hungry Horrors, a deckbuilder about feeding monsters. But we’re not here for that; we’re here for Feed the Scorchpot, an engaging new board game inspired puzzler with a side portion of the multiplier-chasing antics of Balatro.
Dragon Fodder is now called Feed the Scorchpot
Announced just a few days ago by developer Moravian, the name change from Dragon Fodder to Feed the Scorchpot was due to there being another game with the same name. That’s fixed now, and the new title is absolutely fire, pun intended.
The name rather perfectly reflects the nature of the game, which is all about feeding a hungry dragon to stop it from feasting on you and your island of hard-working villagers. Tough break, but if the choice is cook up a nice hotpot or die in a ball of terrible flames, I guess you put your apron on and start cooking!
While there is a complicated structure built around the cooking mechanics, the aim of the game is essentially to grow and harvest food, and then use it to cook the tastiest dishes possible, and in doing so keep your dragon friend happy (and live a bit longer, I guess).
Board game inspiration
I’ve played a fair few board games in my time, and Feed the Scorchpot feels very influenced by this world. To its credit, though, it doesn’t feel like an adaptation of a board game, but rather it’s a game that has some tabletop heritage and uses that to good effect.
One example of this is the lovely-looking map of your island, which is split up into hexes, as you can see in all the screenshots. Each one produces a different type of resource and is activated when the numbers denoted come into play. You must roll your dice, create number combos, and then activate tiles to generate fodder (or food).
The next phase of the year-long turn is to cook. You have a limited supply of recipes, but they all have different benefits. Some activate additional flavour bonuses if certain number combos are rolled, while others can boost your economy. Many have thresholds to meet before being played, but the aim of them all is to keep your dragon fed.
Building for the future
Each new round sees you pulling resources from the map, but you can only use hexes that are occupied by your villagers. To that end, there’s a selection of buildings to boost your economy, and you can find synergies via careful positioning.
As a newcomer, finding the best place for my buildings would often lead to a bit of analysis paralysis, due to the sheer range of options available; however, I think this is a problem that will ease with time and understanding. It’s not a simple game, and there’s a lot of nuance here.
Buildings grow your resources and boost your economy. Save up enough money, and you can buy new one-use items or fresh recipes. You can also buy new buildings to further expand your operation. You’ll need to keep growing, too, because as the game goes on, the dragon gets ever hungrier and you’ll need more flavour, more fodder, and more essence so you can grow your multiplier and make bigger, more flavoursome dishes.
I spent an hour or so with the demo, which you can right now find over on Steam, and I was enjoying the cerebral challenge it posed. There is a decent amount of content in there for a demo, although several features are being held back at this early stage, such as more interesting dice mechanics. For now, the focus is on the basics and showing us how to experiment with the game’s mechanics.
Finally, a note on Feed the Scorchpot’s lovely aesthetic, which I’ve not really mentioned, but I think deserves a word or two of praise. I think it looks very sweet and leans into the whimsical, which is a great choice for a game like this. If you’re a fan of historical art and marginalia, I think it’s worth a little look for the art style alone!
