The first Against the Storm DLC has just been unveiled by developer Eremite Games. Since its full launch in 2023, the masterful dark fantasy city builder has scored an overwhelmingly positive Steam rating of 95%, while we at PCGamesN branded it “a near-perfect roguelike strategy game.” If you’re after something more fantastical than Cities Skylines 2, or friendlier than Frostpunk 2, it’s a perfect pick. Now, alongside its hefty free 1.4 update comes new expansion Keepers of the Stone, which introduces a species of stoneworking Frogs.
If you aren’t already familiar with Against the Storm, it pits you against a devastating natural disaster that has forced civilization to retreat to a last bastion of safety. From there, each run pushes you to explore outwards, reclaiming the lands and building settlements to best make use of the resources you encounter. Its gorgeous visuals and well-realized fantasy world are quick to pull you in, but it’s the intuitive menus and Against the Storm’s approachable yet deep and rewarding systems that make it one of the best strategy games on PC right now, as Josh Brown remarks in our Against the Storm review.
Against the Storm’s first expansion, Keepers of the Stone, introduces the game’s sixth playable species, the Frogs. These amphibians come, as you’d expect, with a love for water, but they’re also particularly skilled in stone masonry. Also coming in the expansion is an additional biome to explore, along with new buildings, orders, risks, and opportunities to ensure that even if you’ve seen everything the base game has to offer, your runs will quickly feel fresh once more.
As mentioned, Keepers of the Stone will arrive alongside the Against the Storm 1.4 update, which is free for all players. This adds plenty of extra content to the base game, including new resources and buildings, a fishing system, and an increase to the level cap, alongside lots of balance changes and UI improvements. All of that will integrate into the DLC if you have it, but should also give you plenty more to play with even if you aren’t picking up the expansion on day one.
Against the Storm Keepers of the Stone launches Thursday September 26 via Steam, GOG, the Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store. You can also play Against the Storm as part of your PC Game Pass library through the Xbox App if you’re a subscriber.
Looking for more of the best city-building games in 2024? We’ve picked out the ones you won’t want to miss. If run-based repetition and learning is more to your tastes, here are the best roguelike games instead.
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