This week’s free titles on the Epic Games Store are now available, and include some familiar names. IronOak Games’ rogue-like RPG For the King and 4A Games’ Metro: Last Light Redux can be claimed for free until February 11th. All you need is an Epic Games account and the Epic Games Launcher to play them.

For the King essentially takes place in a procedurally generated world with different quests and events to complete. Combat is turn-based and there’s even co-op for up to three other players. With several free DLC packs and an intriguing aesthetic, it’s definitely worth checking out. As for Metro: Last Light Redux, it’s the second title in the FPS franchise and features revamped visuals and quality of life improvements.

After completing it, those keen on continuing the story can check out Metro Exodus, also available on the Epic Games Store. Next week’s free game will be Halcyon 6: Lightspeed Edition, a strategy RPG focused on crew management, random events and much more. It’s from the team behind the recent Star Renegades and may be worth looking into for some FTL: Faster Than Light-style gameplay.

https://twitter.com/EpicGames/status/1357388450983518208

There’s only one free game available this week on the Epic Games Store but it’s an interesting pick. Curve Digital’s For the King, a rogue-lite RPG with turn-based combat, is currently free and can be claimed until May 7th. You’ll need to have an Epic Games account and the Epic Games Launcher to play the title.

While For the King launched a bit rough, Curve Digital supported it with a number of free expansion packs. These add competitive modes, sea exploration and combat, new regions and much more. Though the game’s RNG can be a pain, it’s still a unique turn-based RPG that some may enjoy.

Next week we’re back to two free games on the Epic Games Store, namely Frictional Games’ Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Crashlands from Butterscotch Shenanigans. The former is a pioneer in first person horror that still holds up remarkably well while the latter offers an action RPG survival sandbox to mess about in. Both games will be free on May 7th.

Microsoft’s ongoing subscription service, Game Pass, is going strong. Some people aren’t huge fans of it in its current state, but Microsoft is going full steam ahead for the foreseeable future, and for July it looks like we’re getting more games, including some classics, for the service.

Headlining the July roster is no doubt Metal Gear Solid V on July 18th. Despite being obviously unfinished, the game is one of the best stealth games that’s been released this generation. The ever present action horror classic Resident Evil 4 will be available on the Xbox One version of Game Pass July 25th.

Along with them will come Night Call coming day and date with its release on July 17th, a stylish new indie title that you read about here. It will be available for both the Xbox One and PC Game Pass, and along with it will come Killer Instant: Definitive Edition and For the King on July 25th. The Banner Saga 3 will also storm its way into both, the Xbox and PC services on July 18th.

Can't believe the box was full of new games. we never saw that coming pic.twitter.com/9DStu4FRWK

— Xbox Game Pass (@XboxGamePass) July 16, 2019

https://twitter.com/XboxGamePass/status/1151170659122204673

Microsoft recently hosted a new ID@Xbox Game Pass Showcase, unveiling some of the indie titles that would coming to the Game Pass service. With Xbox Game Pass for PC now available, what can PC players expect in terms of game selection? To start with, Undertale, Yoku’s Island Express and My Time At Portia have been confirmed.

Undertale will actually be exclusive to Xbox Games Pass on PC. Other exclusives include Timespinner, Unavowed, Machinarium and For The King, each an incredibly solid release in their own right. Of course, there’s plenty more coming in the future.

Bloober Team’s Blair Witch is bound for Xbox Game Pass while tinyBuild will bring Pathologic 2 and Secret Neighbor to the service as well. Thunder Lotus’s Spiritfarer is also due for the service along with titles like Raw Fury’s Night Call. If that weren’t enough, you can expect Worms W.M.D., GoNNER and The Banner Saga 3 on there as well. Check out the showcase below for more information.

We’ve had a string of months where some excellent titles have been added to the Xbox Game Pass catalog, with both March and April seeing some strong games joining its ever-growing library. May is looking similarly exciting, and offers a number of great games. Of the eight games being added, the most notable is Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, which is probably among the best stories and single player campaigns you’ll find in a first person shooter.

Chucklefish’s recently released turn based strategy title Wargroove also joins Game Pass. With solid gameplay, a decent campaign, and excellent creation tools, it’s a great game regardless, but at the price of free, it’s an absolute steal. Also part of the new games is Fullbright’s excellent science fiction adventure title Tacoma, while Paradox Interactive’s unique simulation game Surviving Mars joins the library as well.

Deck13’s Soulslike sci-fi title The Surge is also coming to Game Pass, while the recently released Xbox One version of the MMO Black Desert, Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, and strategy RPG For the King are included as well.

You can get the details on exactly when each of the eight titles joins the Game Pass catalog below:

• Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus – May 2
• Wargroove – May 2
• Surviving Mars – May 9
• Tacoma – May 9
• Black Desert – May 9
• For the King – May 10
• The Surge – May 16
• Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham – May 16

Ironoak Games’ For The King did fairly decent when it exited Steam Early Access and released on PC in April 2028. The time is now upon console players to get their fill of adventure – For The King has been dated for Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. It will arrive on May 10th for Xbox One. Nintendo Switch and PS4 will receive it on May 24th, with the physical Signature Edition out on the same day.

For The King takes place in the land of Fahrul. The King has been murdered by a mysterious killer and the Queen is calling upon heroes to help bring the realm to order. That’s where you come in, controlling a set of adventurers and journeying across procedurally generated maps to fulfill different quests. With each playthrough, players will earn Lore that can be used to acquire new characters, items, encounters, and more.

Thus far, five expansions have released, available for free. These include the Gold Rush Un-cooperative Mode, Dungeon Crawl Adventure, Frost Adventure, Hildebrants Cellar, and Into The Deep. Each offers something new on top of the base game, like Into The Deep adding sailing and new creatures. Those interested in the Signature Edition will receive the following:

• Full region-free game
• Original soundtrack
• Numbered certificate
• Player guide
• Shield keyring
• Axe enamel pin
• Chaos enamel pin

IronOak Games has brought even more free DLC to its rogue-lite, tabletop-esque RPG For The King. It’s called Into The Deep and brings a brand new story chapter focused on the sea. Players will come across the Fishfolk who – surprising no one – are trying to summon a Kraken deity.

In order to stop this, players must sail across the ocean and visit different islands to destroy the Kraken’s sources of power. Along with four boat variants, new weapons, and nine new enemy types, players will also encounter friendly and hostile NPCs throughout the world. New outfits, armour, and trinkets will assist you on the journey.

If that weren’t enough, players also have a new weapon class to play around with: Guns. You can choose from the Blunderbuss, Musket, or Hand Cannon. Because if you’re going to sail the high seas, it’s probably best to bring a gun to a Cthulhu fight. For The King is currently out on PC via Steam. It arrives for Xbox One and PS4 in 2019.

To me, the term “indie” developer is equal parts counter-culture and unfettered creative vision. However, they are not on a different level from triple-A studios – really, the only things that separate them are bigger budgets and more marketing. Just like indie games are not by virtue worse than triple-A titles because of the lack of money, so too are they not superior because of their unique ideas (which come down to proper execution at the end of the day). I’m not a fan of the “triple-A” or “indie” moniker when it comes down to great games. Because great games, at the end of the day, are great games. And 2018, for all its typical franchises, has seen a lot of great games.

"Developed by Matt Thorson and friends aka Matt Makes Games that brought us the wildly entertaining multiplayer-centric Towerfall: Ascension, Celeste turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year."

Let’s start with January. It was a cold, dark month, punctuated by the impending release of Monster Hunter World. For me, the month was important for two reasons – Cellar Door Games’ Full Metal Furies and Konjak’s Iconoclasts. The former, obviously, is due to the developer’s amazing Rogue Legacy. Full Metal Furies has been in development for a long time and while its beat ’em up mechanics were decent, the overall gameplay and structure felt a bit wanting. It came and went but thankfully, the same didn’t apply to Iconoclasts. This years-in-development action platformer from Joakim Sandberg culminated in a colourful adventure with a deep story, lovable characters and excellent boss fights. It’s coming to Nintendo Switch as well, making it the perfect title to have on the go.

However, between these titles and Unknown Worlds’ Subnautica finally leaving Steam Early Access amid much fanfare (rightly so given how excellently the development was handled), there was Celeste. Developed by Matt Thorson and friends aka Matt Makes Games that brought us the wildly entertaining multiplayer-centric Towerfall: Ascension, Celeste turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year. It overtook a number of other indie titles by coming to the Nintendo Switch at launch but otherwise, it was a great game in every aspect regardless of the platform.

Mechanically, the platforming and variety in level design was compelling, fresh and organically challenging at every turn. The music and visuals were suitably retro but embodied a surrealistic flavour that felt unmistakably contemporary. I would give the most credit to composer Lena Raine for the sheer perfection that her soundtrack serves in setting the mood but everyone who worked on the game, from the artists and programmers to Thorson as designer and director, deserves the highest praise.

Even as Monster Hunter World was setting records and stealing many players’ hearts, Celeste was already my personal Game of the Year.

"Even though there wasn’t a ton of competition, the best new indie game of February was undoubtedly Into The Breach."

Surprisingly, February felt uneventful in comparison. Aegis Defenders from GUTS Department had a certain appeal to its gameplay with the mix of tower defense and 2D platforming but ultimately remained a niche title. February was mostly the month that numerous titles like SteamWorld Dig, Owlboy, Night in the Woods, Layers of Fear: Legacy, Outlast and much more released on the Nintendo Switch. The Nindies program was starting to pick up momentum.

Meanwhile, EA’s Fe was probably the biggest new indie release of the month simply based on the EA Originals label. Was it really exceptional? Did it push any boundaries, especially after January’s cavalcade of great releases? Not really but it was a solid title from the studio behind Stick It To The Man and the upcoming Ghost Giant. Moss was the other big title, simply due to the pedigree of its developer Polyarc (whose team had worked on titles like Guild Wars 2, Halo: Reach, Red Dead Redemption and Dragon Age).

Whether it was the instantly recognizable protagonist Quill or simply being one of the best VR titles ever made, Moss ably established its presence. There was also Where The Water Tastes Like Wine that sadly was proclaimed as a commercial disaster by the developer. Nevertheless, its gorgeous art-direction and strong cast, intermixed with interactive stories, was a welcome offering. An offering that will hopefully receive more appreciation down the line.

Even though there wasn’t a ton of competition, the best new indie game of February was undoubtedly Into The Breach. FTL: Faster Than Light developer Subset Games took a semi-rogue-like approach into the turn-based strategy genre, evoking an aesthetic similar to Advance Wars with intriguing gameplay and squad possibilities. The procedurally generated nature of maps, scaling difficulty and challenge completion required for new units ensured multiple playthroughs. But it was the deceptively simple yet complex gameplay that cemented it as one of the year’s best. There was just something so sweet about knocking an enemy unit into another while their attack kills a third. The ripple effect that this would have on surrounding buildings and other enemies was also worth watching out for at all times.

"Though ultimately falling back on the “one big twist” style of story-telling and having no single-player option, A Way Out’s characterization and strong mechanics allowed it to sell exceptionally well."

The scene started picking up again with all kinds of releases in March. Evoland developer Shiro Games returned with a completely different offering in Northgard. The strategy title focused on settlement building and exploration, as players managed resources and set out to conquer the immense campaign. Despite the strong critical acclaim, Northgard didn’t get too much appreciation but saw a number of updates to extend its life.

Other standout releases that didn’t get too much attention include Ghost of A Tale, a stealth fantasy game focused on a mouse named Tilo as he explores the history of a strange, anthropomorphic inhabitated kingdom; Q.U.B.E. 2, a puzzler in first person that involves the manipulation of cubes while one navigates an immense maze to survive; and of course, Hazelight Games’ A Way Out. Published under the EA Originals label and hyped up thanks to the antics of creator Josef Fares, A Way Out imbibed the couch co-op experience with a compelling story and gameplay situations. Though ultimately falling back on the “one big twist” style of story-telling and having no single-player option, A Way Out’s characterization and strong mechanics allowed it to sell exceptionally well. It crossed 1 million units sold in just two weeks.

April started earnestly enough with Minit. The game focuses on a mystery but much like Half-Minute Hero, a limited time period is provided to accomplish solve it. In between these sixty-second lives, players gather items that are shared across different lifetimes and advance forward (ideally). Though Minit handled its concept well, it was ultimately overshadowed by Harebrained Schemes’ BattleTech and 11 bit Studios’ Frostpunk, not to mention Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice finally coming to Xbox One.

In terms of heavyweights, that’s a pretty solid list. BattleTech became quite successful and Harebrained was acquired by Paradox Interactive. The developer announced future updates and more content (the recently revealed Flashpoint is the first paid expansion). Frostpunk, meanwhile, has been releasing free updates and quality of life changes besides prepping a new scenario for release later this year. Whether it was a tactical turn-based strategy with mech-building and customization or city-management with survival elements and an aspect of humanity, PC players weren’t wanting for unique experiences in April.

"Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, despite having a budget that could dwarf other indie titles, presented an old-school approach to computer role-playing games in the vein of Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale."

Of course, there was also Pizza Titan Ultra, an action platformer which featured giant mechs rampaging through cities to deliver pizzas. Why? Because of course, the mech owners ran a pizzeria! It’s crazy and bizarre but combines the over-top style of Crazy Taxi with the destructible landscape of Blast Corps. It’s nuts and yet extremely endearing.

In May, the flow of indies picked up. Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, despite having a budget that could dwarf other indie titles, presented an old-school approach to computer role-playing games in the vein of Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale. The addition of piracy, ship combat and exploration made it a fun romp even if, like the first game, the writing could be less than quaint. Titles like Omensight and Wizard of Legend also rose to prominence. The former was developed by Spearhead Games of Stories: The Path of Destinies fame. It saw players reliving the same day in Urralia, attempting to solve a murder to reverse the land’s destruction. Time manipulation, hack and slash combat and the ability to influence key characters all created a unique experience (plus the art-style was pretty good looking).

Wizard of Legend took a more straightforward rogue-like approach. Players explored a fixed number of dungeons with procedurally generated elements but the real hook was developing and combining magical spells together. Combat was fast, and the number of spells and items helped provide enough variety for a few repeat playthroughs.

Then there was Moonlighter, a much-anticipated pixel-art dungeon crawler that combined the combat of Zelda with the item shop management of Recettear. While its shopkeeping elements didn’t feel as dynamic, Moonlighter still had an enjoyable loop of combat, upgrading, dungeon looting and selling that was insanely addictive. Did we also mention the art looks simply gorgeous? It’s since been updated with over a hundred new rooms, various quality of life improvements and more interesting twists to the item store.

"July belonged to two major releases – The Banner Saga 3, the climactic conclusion to Stoic’s excellent trilogy, and No Man’s Sky NEXT."

Other titles that stood out in May include City of Brass, a first person rogue-like themed on Arabian Nights where players must venture into a dangerous city for the promise of treasure; FAR: Lone Sails, a linear adventure game where players embark on a sea-faring adventure of mystery, braving hazards and attempting to keep their ship going; and Yoku’s Island Express, a charming side-scrolling platformer that incorporates pinball into its core gameplay. Seriously though, if nothing else, try out Yoku’s Island Express. It’s a ball (I know, I’m sorry).

June and July were relatively quiet, though E3 2018 saw a number of titles either announced or outright released. Unravel Two debuted at EA Play 2018 and while it wasn’t as intriguing as Sea of Solitude (which is out in 2019), the sheer charm of the first game was unique. Plus, there was co-op this time. EA further surprised us by releasing the game as soon as it was announced because…well, why not? Nintendo followed suit. It released the Switch port of Team Cherry’s acclaimed Hollow Knight during its Direct presentation. Hollow Knight has since gone on to fame and fortune, selling over 1 million copies since first launching for PC last year.

Dontnod’s Vampyr was the other big indie release for June. While it seemingly flew under the radar, only slightly buoyed by reviews that praised the story but criticized for its combat, it managed to sell 450,000 units in a manner of weeks. July’s releases were pretty straightforward – This is the Police 2 released and alienated a few fans, though its shift towards a more XCOM-style tactical game wasn’t terrible. Chasm finally released after years in development and while it wasn’t bad, it did average slightly higher than “okay”. At least its 2D art maintained its appeal after so many years.

Honestly, though, July belonged to two major releases – The Banner Saga 3, the climactic conclusion to Stoic’s excellent trilogy, and No Man’s Sky NEXT. The latter technically wasn’t a new game but a large update, overhauling a number of features, adding new ones like co-op multiplayer (and PvP for the more violent-minded folk), and significantly improving the visuals. It did mark the game’s debut for Xbox One but perhaps the most significant development was Hello Games co-founder Sean Murray finally speaking out and admitting to the numerous problems at launch. The commitment to keep improving the game, especially with weekly events, continues.

"Perhaps what impresses me most about this year thus far is how many indie titles seemingly came out of left field and proved to be compelling experiences."

We hence come to August which saw the incredible Dead Cells finally leave Steam Early Access and become a fairly big hit with critics. I’ve waxed eloquent about how brilliant the game is, nailing its core gameplay loop thanks to a striking yet organic aesthetic. And really, it’s tons of fun to kill stuff in that game. No joke.

Guacamelee! 2 wasn’t a revolutionary leap over the sequel but it’s still an excellent follow-up, celebrating Mexican culture and folklore while embodying the very best of Metroidvania gameplay. Death’s Gambit, a 2D Souls-like, also released after numerous years in development. While I personally had a few qualms with it, the combat is fun and challenging to engage with as are the boss battles. Overcooked! 2 brought a whole new meaning to hating your friends with its cooking-based missions (and that odd design choice of only the hosting player receiving progress should be fixed by now). Even Donut County, a game where you control a whole that’s swallowing things up and increasing in size, looks bizarrely fun.

Perhaps what impresses me most about this year thus far is how many indie titles seemingly came out of left field and proved to be compelling experiences. For as much hype as there was for Iconoclasts, Celeste simply came out of nowhere and became known as one of the very best games ever made. Likewise, with August coming to an end (as of this time of writing), Sabotage Studio’s The Messenger has released and proven itself to be an excellent homage to the old-school Ninja Gaiden.

Even without the direct comparison, it’s still proven to be a fantastic 2D action platformer. For The King, IronOak Games’ tabletop roguelike RPG, was also pretty good and despite leaving Early Access with very little fanfare, it’s been well-received by both critics and regular fans. The same goes for Event Horizon’s Tower of Time, a more story-centric RPG dungeon crawler with some compelling combat and decent story-telling.

"Not everyone may find success but each title has earned its place in the hearts and minds of its fans, no matter their number."

Though the Fall and Holiday seasons are known for their triple-A releases, there are a few awesome indie games to look forward to. InExile’s The Bard’s Tale 4: Barrows Deep will arrive on September 18th, introducing a new generation to the dungeon crawling, RPG excitement that permeated old-school titles. Secret of Mana-style action RPG CrossCode will also finally release, exiting Steam Early Access on September 20th, and I couldn’t be more excited about finally playing the game through from start to finish. A number of titles like This War of Mine, Hyper Light Drifter, Everspace, Beat Cop, Moonlighter and much more will also be making their way to the Nintendo Switch, which has proven to be a premier destination for indie titles. Just ask anyone still addicted to Dead Cells on the go.

Frozen Synapse 2 is also probably still coming this year. It’s really hard to say at this point.

The industry has seen its ups and downs throughout the years. Whether it’s last year’s hefty push for loot boxes and reinforcing essential gameplay elements with loot boxes, or the constant nagging about the Battle Royale genre this year, there will always be some kind of pervasive cynicism. That doesn’t mean that some great games – even those seemingly “ruined” by microtransactions – aren’t available to indulge in but that’s beside the point. Through all the twists we’ve seen the industry take, the indie development scene continues to push forward. It may not always be easy or lead to returns as exemplified by Zeboyd Games (Cosmic Star Heroine) or Infinite Fall (Night in the Woods). Some developers like Hello Games may be forever marred by their past failures. Others may be defined more by their explosive personalities than their actual work like Josef Fares.

At the end of the day, the market has proven receptive to indie games and fresh experiences in general. Not everyone may find success but each title has earned its place in the hearts and minds of its fans, no matter their number.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

The King has been murdered by an unknown killer and it’s up to the players to slowly piece together what has happened through multiple playthroughs. To learn more about the inspirations behind the game as well as about the game’s development, Gamingbolt reached out to IronOak Games’Gordon Moran to answer some of the following questions.

"Each game will randomize the map and realms so that it’s never the same experience. Death is a part of FTK, so you’ll most likely have to start over from scratch several times before completing an adventure."

Will the game feature less enemies or some similar mechanic to make the game easier for solo players?

Solo players control all 3 members of their party. However it is possible to start a 2 character game if you’re playing with just one other person or are looking for a challenge. For games with 2 characters or less, the number of enemies in combat is limited and/or their difficulty is reduced to make things fair.

This is a game that looks to be quite difficult. Will the game feature multiple difficulty levels, or is there only one intended way to best play or experience the game?

For The King is meant to be a challenging game but does feature 3 difficulty levels for players who wish to have an easier or more challenging experience. The lowest difficulty level takes the edge off by giving the player more time to complete quests as well as a stat boost and some bonus starting items among other things. It still won’t be easy, as the game still features perma-death, but perhaps more manageable for new players. However you’ll receive more Lore (FTK’s in-game currency) at the higher difficulty levels so it pays to challenge yourself.

Can you tell us a little about the Procedurally Crafted Map in the game and what inspired you to use this in the game?

Each game will randomize the map and realms so that it’s never the same experience. Death is a part of FTK, so you’ll most likely have to start over from scratch several times before completing an adventure. Having a procedural map system helps keeps things fresh and interesting.

The game has a very distinctive art style which is immediately noticeable. What were some of the inspirations behind this visual style of the game?

The art style is very much an homage to the first generation of 3D RPGs from which FTK draws a lot of it’s inspiration. We also wanted a simple and clean style that would allow our small team to create hundreds of items, enemies, and realms as variety is super important for rogue-like games.

"The classes in FTK aren’t traditional classes in that each class is based of a medieval profession rather than a fighting archetype."

What were some of the challenges you faced during the game’s development?

Given that we’re a small team consisting of only 3 core members, we all had to learn things outside our respective disciplines. While ultimately rewarding, it took a lot of work and effort to expand our skill sets beyond what we were used to from AAA development.

Can you elaborate about the different classes in the game and how they contribute in to the team?

The classes in FTK aren’t traditional classes in that each class is based of a medieval profession rather than a fighting archetype. These are very much regular citizens rising up to answer the call in a time of need. That being said, there are still analogies to more traditional RPG classes. For example the Blacksmith plays much like a tank. She has high vitality and can shrug off otherwise deadly blows with her special Steadfast ability. The Scholar is similar to a mage character in that he has high intelligence and can make the most use out of scrolls and tomes. The Hunter is very quick and has high awareness, making him the perfect choice for running quests and avoiding traps and ambushes. And the Minstrel is a support class who can buff the party with her songs, grant XP to nearby party members with her inspire ability, and earn extra money from encounters.

There are at least 6 other unlockable characters, each with their own stats and special abilities.

What can you tell us about the game’s story?

The King is dead, murdered by an unknown assailant. Now the once peaceful kingdom of Fahrul is in chaos. With nowhere left to turn and stretched beyond her means, the queen has put out a desperate plea to the citizens of the land to rise up and help stem the tide of impending doom.

Each play through you’ll reveal more and more about the mystery surrounding the King’s death and the source of Chaos. FTK keeps the story quite light as it’s simply meant to guide you along your own personal adventure. Each adventuring party will experience different challenges and rewards and unique highs and lows making the story very personal.

Can you tell us about how the Chaos mechanic in the game works? How can players reduce the Chaos meter?

In some adventures, Chaos is creeping into the land over time. When Chaos rises, enemies are emboldened and the land itself begins to erupt with Chaos, creating obstacles on the map. If the level of Chaos gets too high, players are stalked by the Chaos Beast and death is not far away.

Fortunately there are many ways to reduce the Chaos through completing the main quest, special side quests, finding and dismantling cult devices and chaos shrines, through various encounters and several other ways. Balancing Chaos is an important part of the main adventure and leads to some interesting strategic decisions along the way.

If you haven’t had enough of procedural generation or rogue-lites, you’re in luck. IronOak Games’ For The King, a rogue-like RPG that’s been on Steam Early Access, will be releasing for PC in April.

The game focuses on a quest to avenge the King of Fahrul with different maps, quests and so on being procedurally generated on each playthrough. Combat is turn-based but there are elements of strategy, build optimization and planning. Along with solo play, there is co-op support, both local and online.

Speaking about the game’s upcoming release, designer Colby Young stated that, “For The King is a passion project for us and very much an homage to the RPG genre. Early Access has been great for the game, allowing us to listen to fans and make the game as strong, polished and fun as possible. Now with its full release, and our new publishing deal with Curve, we can’t wait for more players to experience For The King.”

Originally funded on Kickstarter, For The King went into Early Access in March 2017. The game currently costs $14.99 but on its full launch, the price will go up to $19.99. It currently has a “Very Positive” rating on Steam Early Access based on 2160 reviews. There will likely be a proper day one update to bring the game to its finished state so stay tuned for more information.