Malvexis: Apocalypse Architect

Someone has to end the world. Might as well be you.
You are Malvexis, a pint-sized summoner holed up in a tower with a grimoire, a handful of souls, and absolutely zero moral compass. Divine your fate with a tarot reading, summon a varied cast of diabolical minions, and fend off the increasingly angry "heroes" trying to storm your front door. Perform diabolical rituals. Trigger the apocalypse. Try not to get evicted first.

Every Soul Collected Is a Gamble
Souls are your currency. Spend them to recruit stronger units, refresh the shop, and increase the size of the army you can field.
But every scheme draws attention.
The more notorious you become, the more determined the resistance grows.
Start by terrorizing the local village. When they grow enough spine to push you back, you can set up your next line of defense at one of several strongholds, each with its own benefit. Get pushed back again and they'll bring the fight to your tower, where you have home field advantage. But be careful: a loss there will cut your plans short.
Along the way you'll perform rituals, with each successful one growing your power further and granting you the favor of the eldritch gods. The more you can successfully perform before your legendary battle with the Chosen One, the bigger the apocalypse becomes.

Interface Fit for a Warlock
Instead of menus, buttons and sliders, your magicks will come from the arcane artifacts placed around your tower. Summon minions from your grimoire, scry on the heroes and watch every battle through your crystal ball, and store your precious spoils in the living reliquary.

Build Your Nightmare Team
Fuse identical minions together until they become monstrous powerhouses that hit like a falling cathedral

Equip 26 relics ranging from "sensibly strategic" to "completely unhinged"

Customize your unit formations to win battles before they've even begun

Set the speed of battle, or use the built in Smart speed to skip the slow bits and relish in the big moments

Five Eldritch Patrons
Bargain with five deities across 25 units. Every creature has both a faction AND a combat role and the more units that share traits, the stronger they become.
The Bone Binder: Every death on the battlefield makes the survivors hit harder. Whose death? Doesn't matter.

The Ember Welder: Set the battlefield alight. Every burn fans the flames until your units ignite into molten abominations that splash, burn, and explode.

The Gilded Exactor: Soul harvesting, stealing health, and executing the weak. Self-preservation pays dividends.

The Ferric Thorn: Build an adaptable machine with the C.O.R.E., an additional unit that takes parts from your Ferric Thorn minions and fills a different role based on where it is placed.

The Veiled Hymn: Every spell conjures a decoy. Let the "heroes" waste time hitting your illusions.

The "Heroes" Keep Getting Stronger
It starts with angry villagers armed with righteous fury and basic fire safety violations: farmhands, the local watch, hunters and their hounds, the village elder, a sheriff, and the militia Captain. Every victory makes them more determined. In the full game, the king sends his legions next. Before you know it, the wizards and paladins arrive. By the final act, angelic avengers are kicking down your tower door as you desperately race to complete your rituals before the world overwhelms you.
The Gods Are Patient
When the "heroes" finally get you (and they will) don't expect to rest in peace. You have a bargain to fulfill. The gods will drag your sorry soul back from the beyond as many times as it takes to get the job done. For every ritual you complete, the gods will grant you favor, and successfully defeating the Chosen One doubles it. Spend that favor to light stars in the Firmament, unlocking new powers, new units, and new relics to use in your next apocalyptic endeavors. Every attempt teaches you how to more efficiently usher in the apocalypse.

After all, the world isn't going to end itself.