Developed from a physical tabletop prototype, ‘ Background Blur’s debut title arrives on Steam with a launch discount and a playable demo.
Ashes of Morgravia is now available on PC. Developed and published by the small team at background blur., the full game launched with a 17 percent introductory discount available until July 6. A free demo also remains available for players who want to test its combat systems before purchasing.
The game sits between a tactical RPG and a roguelite deckbuilder. Each expedition sends players through the Desolation, a branching journey across a dark fantasy world trapped in eternal night.
Fallen gods, ruined temples, and creatures twisted by necrotic energy form the backdrop, while route selection and event decisions can alter how a run develops.
Its main idea is the use of two separate card decks. Stride cards govern movement and repositioning, while Clash cards provide attacks and other combat actions. Players, therefore, need to consider where they stand as carefully as which card they play. Simply assembling a high damage deck will not solve every encounter when an enemy is protected by cover, positioned outside the current line of sight, or preparing an attack that demands an immediate response.
The Weave system adds another layer by encouraging players to alternate between the Stride and Clash decks.
Card sequencing becomes part of the wider tactical puzzle, particularly when combined with enemy intent, buffs, debuffs, temporary battlefield effects, and environmental hazards. Movement is not only a way to approach a target. It can open a firing angle, break an enemy’s line of sight, avoid an incoming skill, or place the character inside a more favorable section of the battlefield.
The launch version includes 233 items and 68 equipment sets, giving players several ways to focus on particular mechanics or card keywords. There are also 32 boons and 17 combos, with the latter rewarding specific sequences and interactions. These systems should give each run its own direction, since an early item or card reward may influence which encounters are worth accepting later.
According to the developer, Ashes of Morgravia launches with at least 81 nodes to overcome, 45 random encounters, 42 cards with animated artwork, and 50 different enemies.
Those opponents collectively use 170 unique skills, suggesting that combat behavior will change considerably across the expedition.
Enemies occupy different battlefield roles and use distinct behavior patterns, forcing players to read their intentions before committing cards. Cover, movement range, temporary effects, and environmental dangers can reshape a fight from one turn to the next.
Ashes of Morgravia also includes 357 voiced dialogue lines and support for 12 languages at launch.
Its story follows the remains of a world marked by divine conflict, with decisions and random events filling in more of Morgravia’s history as players travel through the Desolation.
The visual direction uses a restrained gold and blue palette to emphasize the contrast between sacred imagery and the corruption spreading across the land.
The project originally began as a physical tabletop prototype. The developers tested early encounters with printed cards, handwritten rules, and miniatures before translating those ideas into a digital RPG. That origin is still visible in the finished combat system, which treats every encounter like a compact board game built around a tactical combat system, card order, and resource management.
The team plans to continue monitoring feedback, addressing technical problems, and adjusting the balance after release. Ashes of Morgravia is available now for Windows PC through Steam, with its free demo still accessible from the store page.
