Thronefall

Thronefall is a minimalist strategy game created by two indie developers - Jonas Tyroller and Paul Schnepf. Its full release was set for August 2, 2023 - there is also a free demo on Steam.

Mechanics

The title is a simplified strategy game combined with hack 'n slay mechanics. The player expands their kingdom during the day and defends it from enemies during the night.

We start off with a single character, armed with a specific weapon type, riding a horse used to freely move around the different areas. After finding a suitable location to establish a settlement, we must create our headquarters there. The castle is the heart of our kingdom and must be protected at all costs, as the game ends when it's destroyed.

We need money to build, earned mostly in combat. Enemy encounters take place after dark. At first we'll face small squads, easy to repel on our own. Apart from standard attacks (our passive ability) we also have an active ability, depending on the kind of weapon we've chosen before the fight.

Another way to increase our income is by building houses. Each house left standing after the night grants us gold in the morning. Earned cash can be spent on new buildings and expanding old ones. When upgrading a building, we can choose one of the offered bonuses.

Over time, the invading armies become stronger and more numerous. To repel them, we'll need fortifications and allied units, recruitable after constructing their dedicated buildings.

Technical aspects

Thronefall features simplified visuals and an appealing, minimalist color palette. Each location is shown from an isometric perspective. During the day, the audio is limited to scarce sound effects, but during the night, each encounter is accompanied by lively instrumental music fitting the medieval atmosphere.