Craft authentic maps and embark on official 5e campaigns with ARcana.
It’s been a turbulent year so far for Dungeons & Dragons fans. This past January, several proposed changes to the Open Game License leaked online and the outcry by the community was so loud that publisher Wizards of the Coast was forced to rescind the reported changes.
That said, it isn’t all bad news for tabletop players. The new Dungeons & Dragons film is getting rave reviews from both critics and audiences and ARcana, a new augmented reality (AR) powered D&D experience, is coming soon to smartphones and tablets.
According to developer Mirrorscape, ARcana is an immersive multiplayer experience that allows you to craft authentic maps using a wide variety of themed set pieces and play official 5e campaigns with other players in real-time. You can project the game board directly onto a flat surface in the real world using an iOS or Android device or play the game anytime, anywhere in virtual 3D environments.
You can watch the action unfold from above or zoom in to immerse yourself in the campaign from a street-level perspective. You can quickly find a game using the social matchmaking feature or invite members from your regular group for a next-level in-person session.
Every interaction, from moving figurines to rolling the dice, is done using a series of intuitive touch controls, promising a seamless tabletop experience without the need for expensive physical boards and pieces. Mirrorscape says that they may implement a paid subscription system on top of an in-game store where you can pick up new set pieces and paint schemes.
Mirrorscape has already announced partnerships with a number of prominent D&D companies, from Dwarven Forge and Fat Dragon Games to Reaper Minis and Hero Forge. Moving forward, the company plans on implementing support for future AR glasses as well as popular VR headsets.
Mirrorscape recently demoed ARcana at Gary Con 2023. You can check out some footage from the event above. ARcana is scheduled to launch on iOS and Android devices later this year.
For more information visit mirrorscape.com.
Feature Image Credit: Mirrorscape
