Lionhead Studios may have been shut down by Microsoft, but the team of talented UK developers are bouncing back – with a brand new Fable, no less.
Fable Fortune is a Hearthstone-style digital card game, that’s even been given Microsoft’s blessing (Microsoft still own the IP, see)
It probably isn’t the Fable game most of us were hoping for, but given the circumstances, I’d say this is a pretty big win.
It turns out that Fable Fortune was something of a secret project over at Lionhead. The developers had been working on the title for around 18 months, before the studio was officially closed.
Somewhat inevitably, it’s a Kickstarter funded project. At the time of writing, the project has 27 days left to fund, with 714 backers and £23,631 pledged of their £250,000 goal.
The developers (under the new name of Flaming Fowl Studios) describe the game:
Fable Fortune is a Fable themed collectible card game (CCG). Featuring Co-op & PvP modes, set in the whimsical world of Albion.
It certainly has the feel of a Fable game. Everything is present and correct, from monsters like Balverines, Bandits, and Hobbes, through to the general aesthetic of the world and that classic Terry Pratchettesque British fantasy sense of humour that made the original Fable games so memorable.
There are co-op and competitive modes to choose from, including boss battles that are regularly updated. There’s also a good-and-evil-based mechanic that sees cards change during play – a nod to classic Fable?
While Lionhead Studios came out with some absolute corkers during their time (such as Black & White and The Movies) Fable was probably their most cherished IP.
Recent rumours actually suggested that Microsoft wouldn’t sell Lionhead on if it meant they had to part with Fable.
They may not have the same name, but it’s awesome to see that the guys from Lionhead are back and doing what they do best.
Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.