Among big upcoming hitters like Manor Lords and Frostpunk 2, one city building strategy game we’ve had a close eye on during its run-up to launch is Bellwright. Starting from the basics of survival, gathering and crafting, through to the ability to build out a settlement, muster and train your forces, and lead them into battle from the front lines, this new mix of strategy game and RPG is a rival to the likes of Valheim and Medieval Dynasty that boasts a whole lot of promise, and we now have a date for when we can play it.
“Framed for the murder of the Prince and sentenced to death by the Crown, you’ve been living in the shadows ever since.” That’s the one-sentence pitch for Bellwright, an all-in-one medieval city builder, RPG, and strategy game where you’ll start from the bottom and build out your own settlements, recruiting like-minded fellows to join your cause and ultimately leading a rebellion against the oppressive ruling force that shunned you.
That means there’s a huge amount of freedom and potential packed into Bellwright. You’ll gather resources and hunt to craft supplies and build out your first camp. Then as you make allies, you’ll be able to upgrade your bases into outposts and eventually towns, training workers and soldiers alike. You’ll also upgrade your own skills, allowing you to ultimately lead your armies into battle, making use of squad tactics and the game’s directional combat systems to take down your foes on the front lines.
PCGamesN recently spoke with Bellwright director Florian Hofreither from developer Donkey Crew at GDC about the team’s design direction and striking the right balance between the military simulation and the town building. “We believe totally in respecting the player’s time,” he explains. “We also believe that if things move too fast in these kinds of games, they don’t feel like enough of an achievement.
Crucially, you have the option to adapt Bellwright’s pace to your liking. If the building side of things is more your speed, you can choose to focus on the management and economy aspects and you won’t be forced into constant fights. If, however, that medieval combat simulation is why you’re here, then you can automate lots of the management busywork and sharpen your steel for battle.
The Bellwright release date is Tuesday April 23 on Steam in early access. You can visit the store page now for more details, or to add it to your wishlist for a reminder once it arrives. Donkey Crew says it “received a lot of invaluable feedback” from its recent three-day playtest and has dedicated the past few weeks to polishing up bugs and issues that arose as part of the test. “The road to this point has been a long one,” it adds, “but the excitement to see you play and discuss our game is truly felt among the entire team.”
Looking for more of the best medieval games for all your historical recreations? We’ve got a worthy lineup right here. Alternatively, there’s the best city-building games if that’s more your speed.
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