‘We needed a potentially infinite resource of party members so that we could then kill them:’ Entropy dev James Wragg explains how you fit permadeath in a party RPG
Entropy is a turn-based RPG currently available in early access, drawing inspiration from classic JRPGs like Final Fantasy 10 and Lost Odyssey, as well as Western influences including Fallout 1 and Games Workshop’s Mordheim tabletop game. Lead developer James Wragg has implemented an innovative approach to party-based permadeath through a randomly generated mercenary hiring system that provides players with a potentially infinite pool of recruitable characters.
Wragg explains that the mercenary system was specifically designed to support permadeath—a mechanic he views as notably absent from traditional JRPGs despite its compelling gameplay potential. By generating a continuous supply of available mercenaries, the game allows players to experience meaningful character death without making permadeath prohibitively punishing in a party-focused RPG. This design solution addresses a core tension in the genre, enabling the high-stakes consequences of permadeath while maintaining the party-based gameplay that defines classic JRPGs.
The game represents a thoughtful fusion of turn-based combat mechanics from beloved Final Fantasy titles with PC gaming design conventions and darker themes inspired by Western RPG and tabletop gaming traditions.