Just like in the Victoria series from Paradox Interactive, you command a chosen nation, guiding it through diplomacy, industrialization, and warfare to achieve global dominance. The game’s world is alive and interactive, letting you place cities, railways, and buildings anywhere on the map, shaping your nation’s growth with precision.

Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender stated: “We love grand strategy games, and Gilded Destiny is shaping up to be one of the most exciting titles in the genre.” Aquila co-founder Kenneth Mei added: “Partnering with Hooded Horse will gild the road ahead, helping us realize our vision for a living world with deep military and economic systems.”

Funded by a Kickstarter campaign that raised over $150,000 from 2,300 backers, Gilded Destiny is targeting an Early Access launch in late 2026.

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The latest update, detailed in patch notes on Steam, focuses on long-term performance improvements, delivering a significant boost in frame rates, especially for larger cities and the world map. The update also includes a visually overhauled world map. Player feedback drove additional changes, such as enabling the Copy Tool to include building upgrades and allowing queued movement orders for Navy Units.

Kaiserpunk stands out by combining the creative freedom of city-builders with the depth of grand strategy games. YOu shape your city-state from scratch, building housing, infrastructure, and industries while maintaining citizen morale and economic growth. On the global stage, you can trade, form alliances, or wage war across 100+ regions, balancing diplomacy and military might in a dynamic world inspired by Anno and Europa Universalis.

Launched on March 21, 2025, Kaiserpunk has earned a 68% positive rating from 385 Steam reviews, with praise for its logistics depth and unique premise, though some players noted performance issues now addressed in the update.

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As a Paradox Interactive fan, I’ve seen the ups and downs, but my passion for grand strategy games remains strong. While I love titles like Crusader Kings and Old World, indie games rarely dive into this genre. That’s why I tried Bellfortis, a unique turn-based strategy game. Developed by Rake in Grass, known for Jets’n’Guns Gold, it’s unexpected to see them explore this style, but Belfortis is definitely a game worth keeping an eye on.

It’s a strategy game set in the early Middle Ages, combining turn-based strategic planning with real-time battles, and draws inspiration from classics like Total War: Medieval II, Crusader Kings III, and Defender of the Crown, but aims for a more streamlined, intense experience tailored for players with limited time. You play as a medieval ruler expanding your kingdom through diplomacy, conquest, or cunning politics in a turbulent era of emerging European powers and savage raids.

Diverse Campaigns and Gameplay

Even in Early Access, Bellfortis offers large-scale campaigns or smaller, focused maps. The current build includes five campaigns in Central Europe, Iberia and the British Isles, each lasting few hours, with multiple factions being playable per campaign. Gameplay involves managing provinces, raising armies, forming alliances, and fighting arcade-style battles while handling random events like plagues or raids. You can choose any nation and start fresh, each offering unique starting positions, from powerful to still growing.

Before starting your campaign, you choose a mentor who grants bonuses like extra gold or technology points, and select a campaign goal. The campaign map feels like Total War but with a simpler, Risk-style 2D design rather than a vibrant 3D world. You manage five key resources, which can be tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, Bellfortis becomes a lot of fun.

Each turn in Bellfortis represents a month, where you use resources to build infrastructure like barracks for recruiting units or markets to increase income, or to expand your territory. Province management is simpler than in Crusader Kings III or even Total War titles, focusing on several key building menus that unlock military or economic perks. Buildings are interconnected but designed to be straightforward, so you’ll easily know what to build first.

Diplomacy aspect is rather barebones currently, mostly letting you send diplomats to boost relations, gain allies, or peacefully annex kingdoms, while spies collect intel or sabotage foes. More diplomacy options become available based on good or bad relationships and through technologies. Random events like crop failures or barbarian raids keep you on your toes, adding variety without being too complex. However, in Early Access, the province management UI feels clunky, with menus that make accessing key info tedious. Events are also repetitive and can get annoying after some time.

The 2D, Risk-style campaign map resembles Total War but lacks 3D vibrancy.

Kingdom Growth and Replayability

Battles in Bellfortis are fast, real-time, arcade-style fights, unlike Total War’s slower pace. You lead infantry, cavalry, and archers on 2D battlefields, controlling unit formations and tactics directly. Combat lasts 5-10 minutes, focusing on quick decisions rather than micromanagement. Flanking with cavalry or holding a line with spearmen can shift the outcome. An auto-resolve option will also suits strategy-focused players. While accessible, battles lack Total War’s visual or tactical depth, and the current build’s limited unit types reduce strategic variety.

As your kingdom grows, you unlock new buildings, units, and diplomacy options through technology. Over time, you gain advanced units, more gold for upgrading lands, and a clear overview of your provinces. Each province has unique terrain with specific bonuses or penalties, and you can assign governors to boost them. Replayability comes from diverse factions, random events, and varied campaign maps. However, the single-player focus and lack of multiplayer (planned for later) reduce its social appeal compared to Total War’s online battles.

Bellfortis doesn’t offer deep complexity, but unique quest objectives, optional or assigned, add a nice touch, rewarding you with plenty of resources. This simplicity isn’t a downside; the game avoids long, 10-hour campaigns, keeping things concise. As the devs noted, it’s perfect for players with limited time. Early Access also only means the content is going to expand over time.

Public order and tax rates matter a lot in Bellfortis. High taxes can spark rebellions, so you need to keep things balanced. I found it frustrating how little gold you start with, beginning a campaign with -300 gold is tough and stabilizing the economy takes time. Overspending can hurt, so Bellfortis pushes you to plan carefully. You can’t just spam units or buildings; you need to think about what you’re building and why.

“Short, concise campaigns suit players with limited time.”

Promising Indie Strategy Experience

In the end, Bellfortis is a promising indie grand strategy game that simplifies the depth of Total War and Crusader Kings III into a more accessible, engaging experience. It combines turn-based kingdom management with real-time arcade battles, offering meaningful choices and replayable campaigns. However, as an Early Access title, it has limited content, rough visuals, and a clunky UI, with basic AI and diplomacy needing improvement.

It makes me to think that this technicially isn’t a “grand” game but rather a completley different genre in need of a name. It doesn’t have that grand style to it but it’s also good enough to satisfy any fans of the genre that just really want to enjoy a simple game. It’s good enough and it’s easy to reccommend.

“Not a traditional ‘grand’ strategy game, Bellfortis feels like a new, unnamed genre.”

Review copy provided by the publisher

3.8

The post Bellfortis – Nije klasična grand strategija first appeared on IndieGames.

Interestingly, I recently came across a Reddit post discussing how LEGO, much like Nintendo, has shifted its focus away from kids and toward adults with disposable income. Could the same be happening with Nintendo? Who is their real target audience now? Are their first-party titles compelling enough to justify buying the console, or are we just seeing the same types of games recycled year after year?

When the Nintendo Switch 2 was first announced at Nintendo Direct last week, initial reactions were largely positive. A hybrid console with upgraded hardware, a larger screen, and promises of enhanced gameplay? Sign us up! Yet Nintendo’s decision to withhold the price during the showcase, whether due to last-minute indecision or fear of backlash, already hinted at potential trouble.

Now, as the excitement of the reveal fades, it’s becoming clear that the Switch 2 is stumbling out of the gate. Between questionable design choices, a steep price hike, and a concerning approach to game pricing, what once seemed like a surefire hit is starting to feel like a misstep. Let’s not forget who’s steering the ship at Nintendo, president Shuntaro Furukawa, a businessman first and foremost, not necessarily someone with a deep understanding of the gaming industry. Is this yet another case of corporate greed taking priority? Only time and sales figures will tell.

A Pricey Console That Feels Like a Half-Step Forward

At $449.99 for the base model, the Nintendo Switch 2 is the most expensive console Nintendo has ever launched. For context, the original Switch debuted at $299.99 in 2017, a price that felt reasonable for its groundbreaking hybrid design. Even the Switch OLED, with its premium display, retailed at $349.99. A $150 jump for the Switch 2 feels like a gut punch, especially when you consider what you’re getting, or rather, what you’re not getting.

The Switch 2 boasts a 7.9-inch 1080p LCD screen, improved processing power, and a slightly refined design with dual USB-C ports and a more adjustable kickstand. On paper, these are nice upgrades, but they don’t scream “next-gen.” The decision to stick with an LCD screen instead of OLED, especially after the Switch OLED’s vibrant display, feels like a step backward. Competitors like the Steam Deck offer comparable (or better) specs at similar or lower price points, with access to a vast library of discounted PC games. Meanwhile, the Switch 2’s hardware, while improved, doesn’t seem to close the gap with modern consoles like the PS5 or Xbox Series X in any meaningful way.

Then there’s the timing. Nintendo’s announcement came alongside news of new U.S. tariffs on imported goods, particularly from countries like Vietnam, where much of the Switch 2’s manufacturing takes place. These tariffs, ranging from 10% to 49%, have already forced Nintendo to pause pre-orders in the U.S. to “assess the impact.” Analysts are speculating that the base price could climb to $500 or higher if the tariffs stick. Nintendo reportedly stockpiled units to mitigate the initial hit, but once those run dry, consumers could be looking at an even pricier console.

The Game Price Hike: A Cash Grab Too Far

If the console’s price tag raised eyebrows, the cost of Switch 2 games has sparked outright outrage. Nintendo has set a new standard for its first-party titles, with flagship launch game Mario Kart World retailing at $79.99 digitally and a staggering $89.99 for physical copies. Other titles, like Donkey Kong Bananza, start at $69.99, still a significant jump from the $59.99 norm for Switch 1 games. For comparison, even high-budget PS5 and Xbox Series X games typically launch at $69.99, and those often involve massive development costs for photorealistic graphics and sprawling open worlds. Nintendo’s family-friendly fare, while polished, doesn’t seem to justify the premium.

What stings even more is the lack of transparency. Nintendo didn’t mention game prices during its Switch 2 Direct presentation, leaving fans to discover the $80-$90 price tags after the fact. This sparked a firestorm on social media, with Reddit threads and livestream chats flooded with demands to “drop the price.” The backlash was so intense that former Nintendo marketing leads have suggested the company is in full “war room” mode, scrambling to address the PR nightmare. Yet, so far, Nintendo’s response has been silence, a risky move for a brand that thrives on goodwill.

The pricing model raises deeper concerns about value. Mario Kart World may be a “significantly expanded experience” compared to past entries, but $80-$90 for a kart racer feels too much when you consider that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe launched at $59.99 and became one of the best-selling games of all time. Nintendo’s argument seems to hinge on the idea that their games offer unmatched quality and replayability, but that logic falls flat when you realize they’re charging $10-$20 more than competitors for titles that don’t appear to push technical boundaries.

And don’t get me started on the $10-$15 “upgrade fees” for Switch 1 games optimized for Switch 2. Asking players to pay extra for better frame rates on games they already own feels like double dipping, plain and simple.

A Launch Lineup That Lacks Punch

Price hikes might be easier to swallow if the Switch 2 launched with a killer lineup, but the reality is underwhelming. Mario Kart World is the lead title, joined by Donkey Kong Bananza and a great choice of third-party ports like Hades II, Borderlands 4 or Split Fiction. There’s also Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, a $10 tech demo that’s essentially a paid tutorial, hardly the free pack-in like Wii Sports or Astro’s Playroom that could showcase the console’s potential.

Compare this to the original Switch’s launch, which had The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a game that redefined open-world adventures and justified the console’s existence on day one. The Switch 2’s lineup feels safe, not revolutionary, and it’s hard to see it driving mass adoption at these prices.

The reliance on “Switch 2 Editions” of existing games, like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, further muddies the waters. These enhanced versions come with a cost, either through paid upgrades or full-price repurchasing, which alienates fans who’ve already invested in the originals. Nintendo’s history of stingy discounts doesn’t help, unlike Sony or Microsoft, who regularly slash prices on older titles, Nintendo games rarely drop below $40, even years after release. This approach might maximize profits, but it risks pricing out the younger and more budget-conscious players who flocked to the original Switch.

However, there’s at least one Switch 2 exclusive worth getting excited about: The Duskbloods, an upcoming online multiplayer title from FromSoftware that supports up to eight players. During the Nintendo Switch 2 Showcase, the developers debuted a short trailer offering a glimpse into the game’s world and core themes. Drenched in dark, gothic atmosphere, the teaser opens with a cryptic reference to an unnamed knight of “light.” The game seems to introduce a fully original universe with its own lore and cast, including one particularly striking character who appears to hunt monsters in vampiric fashion.

The Bigger Picture: A Risky Bet

Perhaps the most frustrating part of the Switch 2 saga is Nintendo’s apparent disconnect from its audience. The company has always marched to its own beat, but its refusal to address pricing concerns or clarify the tariff situation feels tone-deaf. Fans aren’t just upset about the cost, they’re upset about the lack of communication. When the 3DS launched at $250 in 2011 and flopped, Nintendo quickly slashed the price to $170, turning it into a success. That kind of bold course correction seems unlikely here, at least in the short term, as Nintendo doubles down on its premium pricing strategy.

There’s also the issue of physical game ownership. Reports suggest that Switch 2 game cards may act more like external drives, requiring installation and potentially limiting true ownership. This move, combined with higher physical game prices, undermines one of Nintendo’s strengths: the collectible, tangible nature of its cartridges. For a company that’s leaned heavily on nostalgia, this feels like a misstep that could alienate longtime fans.

Nintendo’s pricing decisions don’t exist in a vacuum. The gaming industry is grappling with rising development costs, inflation, and economic uncertainty. But while Sony and Microsoft have gradually inched toward $70 games, Nintendo’s leap to $80-$90 feels like a power move, one that assumes fans will pay anything for Mario and Zelda. The problem is, the Switch 2 isn’t launching into the same market as its predecessor. The original Switch thrived because it was affordable, portable, and packed with must-play exclusives. At $450 (or more), with $80-$90 games and a modest launch lineup, the Switch 2 risks pricing out the casual players who drove its predecessor to 140 million units sold.

Not Everything Is Lost

Worse still, this price hike could give other publishers the green light to follow suit. If Nintendo, a company known for its relatively modest development budgets, can charge $80-$90 for a game, what’s stopping Ubisoft, EA, or Square Enix from pushing their Switch 2 titles into the same territory? The ripple effect could turn the Switch 2’s game library into one of the most expensive on the market, undermining the console’s appeal as an accessible, family-friendly platform.

Compare this to recent rumors about Grand Theft Auto VI, which some speculate could launch at $100 due to its unprecedented scope and Rockstar’s ambitious vision. While $100 for a sprawling crime epic might raise eyebrows, it’s at least conceivable given the sheer scale of GTA. Charging $80-$90 for Mario Kart World, a kart racer with updated visuals and a few new tracks, feels indefensible by comparison.

There’s still hope. Nintendo has a history of course-correcting, whether through price cuts, budget models like a Switch 2 Lite, or software that makes the cost feel worthwhile. But right now, the Switch 2 feels like a console caught between ambition and miscalculation. The hardware upgrades are solid but not spectacular, the game prices are hard to justify, and the looming threat of tariffs only adds to the uncertainty. Nintendo needs to start listening to its fans, not just its accountants, or it risks turning its next big chapter into a cautionary tale.

The post [OPINION] We Need to Talk About Nintendo Switch 2... first appeared on IndieGames.

Developed primarily by a solo developer with support from contracted artists, Strategos aims to differentiate itself from grand strategy titles like Total War by emphasizing tactical depth over campaign management. The game is currently in development with no firm release date, though it’s available to wishlist on Steam. It promises a detailed command-and-control system, over 120 factions, and more than 250 unique units.

Strategos immerses you in the ancient Mediterranean world, covering a timeline from roughly 500 BCE to 500 CE. This includes:

• The Persian Wars (Greek hoplites vs. Persian Immortals).
• The rise of Hellenic empires (Alexander the Great’s successors).
• The Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage.
• Conflicts involving Gallic, Germanic, and Iberian tribes.
• The late Roman era against the Sasanian Empire.

Thousands of soldiers can appear on-screen, with individual animations for movement and combat, though outcomes are resolved at the unit level using tabletop-style rules. An advanced system simulates the challenges of ancient warfare. Additionally, you can position generals to issue orders, send couriers, boost morale, or engage in combat, but units may act independently (charging, evading, or routing) based on morale and situational factors.

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Band of Crusaders is a dark tactical RPG set in an alternate medieval Europe overrun by demonic forces. As the Grandmaster of a knightly order, you’ll lead your warriors in strategic battles against the infernal invasion. The game combines real-time combat with detailed party management, creating a rich sandbox experience rooted in authentic historical and biblical influences.

For Virtual Alchemy, this partnership with NCsoft marks a transformative leap. As a small indie studio, gaining access to NCsoft’s global infrastructure, 5,000+ employees deep, with decades of publishing and live-service expertise, is an unprecedented opportunity. The sentiment was echoed by NCsoft Co-CEO Byungmoo Park in late 2024: “We’re committed to diversifying our portfolio with innovative IPs while delivering premium experiences to players worldwide.”

Band of Crusaders delivers a rich blend of strategy and atmosphere. Its real-time tactical combat lets you pause the action with slow-motion commands, giving you time to outthink your enemies. You’ll lead a band of up to 20 crusaders, each customizable to fit your playstyle, across a living world shaped by changing seasons, shifting daylight, and the creeping influence of demonic forces. Every decision carries weight, losing a warrior means losing them forever, and managing your camp’s resources becomes a lifeline between battles.

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Memoriapolis isn’t your typical city-builder. While most games in the genre focus on a single era or a linear progression of upgrades, this title challenges you to guide a settlement through four distinct historical ages: Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Age of Enlightenment. Each era introduces new mechanics, buildings, and challenges, reflecting the evolving needs and complexities of a growing civilization.

Early Access began with just the first two ages, Antiquity and the Middle Ages, allowing you to establish your city’s foundations and navigate medieval struggles. The Renaissance arrived in a major update late last year, and now, with the full release, the Age of Enlightenment will complete the timeline, offering a grand finale to this historical saga.

What sets Memoriapolis apart is its organic growth system. Unlike traditional city-builders where you meticulously plot every road and building, this game employs a unique algorithm, crafted with input from an urban planner, to simulate realistic urban sprawl. Citizens shape the city’s layout as they move between key structures like forums, markets, and fortresses, creating a living, breathing metropolis that feels authentic.

With the Steam City Builder Fest discount running until March 31, 2025, now’s the perfect time to jump in and experience the game’s final Early Access build or wait for the full launch to see it in its entirety.

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Frostpunk 2 is an ambitious sequel to 11 bit Studios’ 2018 hit, a game that redefined city-building with its bleak survival stakes. Set three decades after the apocalyptic Great Frost, you step into the boots of New London’s Steward, tasked with guiding a sprawling metropolis through a frozen hellscape. The Captain is dead, the coal fires burn on oil now, and survival has given way to expansion, factional strife, and societal evolution. It swaps the original’s building-by-building struggle for a grander, district-based vision, infused with political intrigue and moral ambiguity.

From micro to macro mayhem

In original Frostpunk, the focus is on the small details, every tent and coal pile feels personal, and survival depends on tiny decisions. Frostpunk 2, however, zooms out, focusing on big-picture management where districts and policies shape your legacy. The first game’s closeness makes every loss feel painful (like a child freezing to death), but the sequel’s more detached approach (treating deaths as statistics) trades that emotional impact for broader strategy. It’s a bold change, but it might feel less personal for some players.

In Frostpunk 2, each hexagonal district has a role: housing, industry, food, or resource extraction. You can expand them with hubs like hospitals or prisons. To grow, you break through ice to claim new space, manage resources like coal, oil, food, and goods, and balance needs like heat, hunger, crime, and cleanliness. Time moves fast, with weeks passing in seconds, reflecting the scale of a city that now houses tens of thousands. Exploration adds depth: send teams to scavenge the Frostlands, create supply routes, and build colonies to send resources back home. Massive storms called whiteouts disrupt supply chains, forcing you to overproduce and keeping the survival tension high.

But with bigger scale comes more complexity, and that’s where problems start. The Council system adds a political layer, every 10 weeks factions vote on laws, and you must negotiate, bribe, or manage groups like the Stalwarts and Pilgrims. It’s a smart addition, showing how messy democracy can be: promise a factory to win votes, or face protests if you break your word. However, this system never lets you relax. Pop-ups constantly flood the screen, faction demands, resource shortages, random events, turning city management into a never-ending crisis. It feels like micromanagement dressed up as macromanagement. Even with updates since the game’s release, some parts of the game are still exhausting to handle.

Technology system feels overwhelming and takes away from the fun

In Frostpunk 2, technology replaces the original’s straightforward workshop upgrades with a sprawling, faction-influenced research system. Gone is the single tech tree of Frostpunk, where you’d unlock sawmill efficiency or heater range in a linear path. Instead, Frostpunk 2 offers over 100 research options across multiple idea trees (Heating, Resources, Society, City), each tied to factional ideologies (Stalwarts for automation, Frostlanders for sustainability).

Research is fueled by Heatstamps (currency) and progresses via Research Institutes, built in Districts. Laws and tech intertwine, unlocking an idea often requires Council approval, adding political friction. Compared to Frostpunk’s immediate, survival-driven upgrades, Frostpunk 2’s tech is a long-term investment, shaping New London’s identity over decades. But this can feel overwhelming. There’s so much to manage and keep track of that research often feels hit or miss. With so many factors influencing your decisions and the constant pressure to focus on survival, it really takes away from the gameplay experience.

But that’s not even the biggest problem. The gameplay seems fun at first, but it becomes too repetitive in the mid and late game. It tries to be exciting, but no matter what you do, you’re always barely surviving. While this creates tension, it ends up feeling frustrating. Frostpunk 2 doesn’t do a great job of teaching players its complex systems. The five-chapter campaign acts as a tutorial, but it overwhelms you with districts, factions, and tech trees without clear explanations.

Early, mid and late parts of the game

In the early game, you start with a simple city: Housing, Extraction, Industrial Districts, and a small Research Institute. Tech options are limited but important: basic Heating (like Oil Pumps to replace coal), Resources (like Sawmill Expansion for wood), and Society (like Worker Shift Laws). Research takes weeks and costs a small amount of Heatstamps (50-100) and workers. Factions make early demands, better housing or fuel efficiency, forcing you to choose a path. Frostbreaking (clearing ice) opens up space for growth, but your tech choices determine what you can build next.

By mid-game, your city has grown, multiple districts, a colony or two, and a second Research Institute. The tech tree expands: Heating offers options like Coal Liquefactors (turning coal into oil) or Wind-Powered Generators (sustainable heat). Resources branch into Automation (Mechanized Sawmills) or Recycling (Waste Recovery). Society splits into Order (Guard Squads) or Equality (Communal Housing). Factions gain influence, Stalwarts push for factories, Pilgrims favor mobility, and unlocking tech often requires their votes or resources like Prefabs (crafted goods).

In the late game, New London becomes a huge city: wide districts, many colonies, and fully upgraded Research Institutes. You get top-level tech options; Heating unlocks Nuclear Reactors or terraforming machines; Resources offers endless mining or man-made materials; Society gives extreme laws like full automation or shared labor. Research gets expensive (800-1,500 Heatstamps), and factions fight harder, Stalwarts might try to control all tech, causing riots if you refuse.

The game features seven unique maps, each presenting distinct challenges and starting conditions

The campaign spans five chapters, serving as both a story-driven experience and a tutorial for Frostpunk 2’s mechanics. Each chapter has specific goals tied to the story, but they’re loose, encouraging experimentation. Utopia Builder mode is Frostpunk 2’s sandbox, letting you craft custom cities without narrative constraints. Unlike the campaign’s linear progression, you pick a map, set difficulty (for example, resource scarcity, Whiteout frequency), and build from scratch. A 40-60+ hour sandbox is where Frostpunk 2 flexes, map variety, unrestricted tech, and self-driven goals cater to strategy nuts. Maps like Rift or Wasteland feel alive with unique quirks (bridges, ruins), outshining Frostpunk’s static circles.

Utopia Builder has seven maps, each with unique features. For example, Crater is a big map with lots of resources, perfect for beginners. On the other side, Dreadnought brings a smaller map with plenty of oil but fewer other resources, making it really challenging. There’s plenty to experiment with, keeping the game fun and lasting. Frostpunk 2 also supports mods. You can easily download them through the Steam Workshop, and the game even has a built-in mod browser for quick access. While mods don’t completely change gameplay, they add fun tweaks, like smoother controls or a free-roam camera to make the experience more immersive.

Visually, Frostpunk 2 looks stunning. Built on Unreal Engine 5, it swaps the original’s close-up, gritty style for a grand, hex-based view of New London. The city is a dieselpunk maze of rusty districts, glowing red power lines, and smoky skies. Beyond it, the icy Frostlands stretch out, filled with resource spots, abandoned towns, and colonies you can take over. When you zoom into a district, you’ll see workers laboring or citizens freezing, a quick nod to the first game’s personal touch. The art style mixes warm oranges with icy blues, and the soundtrack, full of industrial noises and sad music, creates such a strong atmosphere that you can almost feel the cold through your screen.

Frozen giant with a chilly heart

Frostpunk 2 is a bigger, bolder version of the first game. Instead of focusing on small survival struggles, it lets you build a huge city in the frozen wasteland. The game looks amazing with Unreal Engine 5 graphics and adds new features like managing districts, dealing with political factions, and exploring the icy lands outside your city. You’ll face deep tech choices, connect with colonies, and make tough moral decisions. The Utopia Builder mode offers seven different maps to keep you playing. With 40-60 hours of gameplay, it’s perfect for players who love complex strategy games. 11 bit Studios has clearly put a lot of passion into this frosty world.

However, the sequel loses something important that made the first game special. By zooming out to manage a whole city, you lose that personal connection – your citizens feel like numbers, not people. Tough choices like using child labor or letting people starve don’t hit as hard. The game throws too much at you at once, such as districts, factions, multiple resource meters, and the tutorial doesn’t explain things well. While the first game built to dramatic endings (like surviving the final storm), this one’s story feels thin and just sort of… ends. Even after updates fixing bugs, the game still feels overloaded with systems that can frustrate players.

Review copy provided by the publisher

3.8

The post Frostpunk 2 – Bold Sequel That Frays at the Edges first appeared on IndieGames.

Set in an alternate history after World War I, Kaiserpunk challenges players to build a city, drive industrialization, and establish an empire through territorial expansion or strategic defense. The game features over 90 different buildings and production chains that must be managed wisely to dominate rival empires. Beyond resource management, players must also take care of their citizens, maintain morale, and develop a thriving economy.

While the game primarily focuses on city-building and management, Kaiserpunk does not overlook military strategy. Growing empires pose a constant threat, forcing players to engage in diplomacy, form alliances, or wage war to ensure survival. This balance between economic development and military challenges is a key reason why the game has garnered significant interest, offering an experience that appeals to fans of both genres.

We had the opportunity to visit the studio in person and discuss the game, learn more about it here. It is expected for Kaiserpunk to release on PC via Steam.

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“Our general approach to historical events is to allow players to experience them as they happened if they choose to do so. However, recreating every detail of history, from the micro to the macro, would make the game impossibly complex or unplayable. As a result, we sometimes rely on abstractions or creative workarounds to achieve the desired outcome”, Mark said and added:

“At the same time, we want players to have the freedom to diverge from history. After all, part of the fun of a historical game is the ability to rewrite it. This can happen through direct choices during events or through the broader geopolitical shifts that occur as a result of gameplay. For example, there’s no guarantee that a specific country will exist, own certain territories, or maintain particular alliances by a given date.”

To balance this, they designed events to be flexible enough to accommodate alternate historical scenarios. Mark here gives the example of Prussia’s 19th-century history, focusing on the Second Schleswig War and its consequences. The Schleswig-Holstein issue arose when Denmark’s claim to the region neared expiration. The First Schleswig War left the matter unresolved, as Prussia withdrew under pressure from the UK and Russia, resulting in a treaty that prevented full Danish integration of Schleswig-Holstein.

“In Gilded Destiny, we’ve modeled this event chain to reflect both historical accuracy and player agency. For example, we check whether Denmark still owns Schleswig-Holstein and remains a monarchy. If so, Denmark faces a choice: sign a constitution integrating Schleswig or face political turmoil. If Denmark chooses integration, Prussia can respond diplomatically or prepare for war”, Mark emphasized.

Prussia’s decisions ripple through the game. It can ally with Austria, offering them Holstein, or risk the rise of liberalism in the German states. The UK and Russia also get involved, deciding whether to support Denmark or stay neutral. These choices are weighted for the AI to generally follow historical paths, but players have the freedom to forge their own.

The event system also models the consequences of these decisions. Political opinions shift, populations react, and international standing changes based on the player’s actions. Even if Prussia loses the war or avoids conflict altogether, the game adapts. For instance, if Prussia and Austria don’t go to war over Schleswig-Holstein, tensions over other territories like Silesia could spark conflict.

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