Cards of Heart

Cards of Heart is a narrative-focused cozy digital card game mixed with a fantasy top-down RPG about a young woman’s daily mental health struggles against her inner Shadows.

Amalia is a young woman living in a small fantasy town plagued by Shadows creeping into all facets of her life, but when a wisp called Ljos gives her the ability to generate cards of light that can push them back, she must use this power to heal from the pain of her past.

By creating cards of light to confront Shadows and discover insights in Amalia’s memory, the player will experience the heartache and hope that are part of the difficult process of encountering and overcoming mental health challenges while exploring concepts like self-acceptance, resilience, and the importance of social connections.

This game is currently in development at the University of Southern California as the MFA thesis project for Marielle Brady.