Lords of Jerdonia

The Concept

Lords of Jerdonia is a top-down 2D wave-based basebuilding and tower defense game set in a medieval world.
The player takes the role of a Lord who establishes a settlement in a dangerous forest.
Starting from a small camp, the player must gather resources, expand the settlement,
and defend against increasing waves of bandits.
The goal is to grow from a vulnerable outpost into a fortified domain capable of surviving continuous threats.

Core Loop

The core loop is simple

• Gather resources
• Expand and upgrade the settlement
• Build defensive structures
• Design and optimize the settlement layout
• Survive incoming bandit waves
• Increase stability and unlock new buildings

The player does not directly control units.
All strategic decisions are made through building placement and expansion.

Settlement Progression

The settlement evolves through multiple stages:

Camp → Outpost → Village → Town → Principality

Each stage unlocks new buildings, units, and defensive options,
while also increasing the scale and intensity of enemy attacks.

With each progression step, the available building radius expands,
allowing the player to grow from a compact layout into a larger, more complex settlement.

Building System

The game is built on a grid-based placement system.
All gameplay is driven through building placement.

Players construct:
• resource buildings
• housing
• defensive structures

The limited building space forces players to carefully plan their layout,
making positioning the core strategic element of the game.

Defense System

Defense is entirely structure-based.

Players do not control individual units,
but instead rely on buildings such as:
• watchtowers
• defensive structures
• settlement layout

Some buildings allow the recruitment of defensive units such as knights or spearmen.
These units act automatically, defending nearby areas or engaging enemies outside the settlement if gates are open.
Once defeated, they must be recruited again..

Day & Night Cycle

The game is structured around a clear day and night rhythm.

During the day, players focus on:

• building and expanding the settlement

• gathering resources

• repairing damaged structures

• optimizing the settlement layout

Layout decisions are a core part of gameplay,
as building placement directly affects efficiency and defense.
At night, bandit attacks may occur.
Players must prepare during the day,
as all threats emerge during the night phase.

Bandit Raids

Bandit attacks occur during the night and are not always predictable.

Raids can come from multiple directions,
forcing players to design flexible and well-balanced defenses.

Different enemy types create varying levels of threat,
requiring strategic planning rather than reaction.

Damage & Repair

Buildings damaged during the night can be repaired during the day.

If a building is not repaired in time,
it will collapse completely during the following night,
including all of its upgrades.

This creates constant pressure to maintain the settlement.

Population & Workforce

Housing generates workers.

Workers are automatically assigned
to the earliest built resource buildings.

If a house is destroyed during the night:
• the workers living there are lost
• affected resource buildings stop functioning

This directly links economy, defense, and survival.

Design Goal

The goal of this project is to create a strategy experience
that combines basebuilding with wave-based survival mechanics.

The focus lies on:
• clear progression
• strategic positioning
• increasing pressure over time

The game is designed to be easy to understand,
while offering depth through system interaction and scaling difficulty.




*Mood images for this project are generated for visual exploration