Secret Cow Level’s Doomtrooper looks to the past while carving out a new future

Old tabletop game properties are enjoying a renaissance right now. Designers are dragging franchises such as Magic: The Gathering, Talisman, and Ogre out of the ‘90s and doing something new, whether that’s a new implementation of an old game or a new way of experiencing these worlds. This resurgence of interest in legacy tabletop games is felt across multiple mediums, whether they be in the tabletop realm or branching out into video games, and it’s shown no signs of slowing down.

That’s what Justin Reynard is banking on as he brings back Doomtrooper, a collectable card game set in the Mutant Chronicles universe. Reynard, who’s worked on the likes of Fallout: New Vegas, Alpha Protocol, and Dungeon Siege III, brought together a small team and sought out the rights to make a new digital version of Doomtrooper, with the goal of bringing the game he loves to digital, online platforms. Talking to Reynard reveals how much of a passion project this is, but also illuminates why these old tabletop franchises are going to keep popping up.