Independent Polish developer Virtual Alchemy has announced Band of Crusaders, a new dark medieval strategy RPG where you lead a band of holy warriors to rid Europe of demons and evil.
Band of Crusaders is in development for Windows PC (via Steam), though a release date wasn’t announced.
“Band of Crusaders is about a company of warriors you will raise from peasants to heroes against the forces of chaos,” Virtual Alchemy CEO Dominik Sypnicki said in a press release. “The Knights Templar are gone, and Archdemons are at the door, threatening the already fragile peace that European smallfolk have come to cherish.”
Art director Kamil Mickiewicz added, “Our artistic approach to Band of Crusaders merges historically authentic representations of medieval tools, armor, and weaponry, with demonic creatures inspired by biblical descriptions and European folklore. We wanted to see what the world of The Witcher would look like if you removed all the Witchers.”
Here’s a rundown on the game, plus its reveal trailer:
Band of Crusaders is a dark medieval strategy RPG in which you become Grandmaster of a knightly order and lead it against a demonic invasion of Europe. Craft your sandbox adventure – explore a vast simulated world, recruit crusaders, grow your camp, and face demons & human foes in real-time combat.
In medieval Europe, sins give rise to demonic amalgamations. Heresy and fear slowly consume the entire realm. As Grandmaster of a knightly order, you are called to lead a crusade against this unholy menace. Gather your Brothers, strengthen your camp, and confront the Archdemons in fierce battles to reclaim the land from darkness.
Band of Crusaders immerses you in a dark medieval fantasy where your leadership determines the fate of Europe.
Features
- Real-Time Tactical Combat – Experience a dynamic, tactical combat system enhanced by slow-motion mechanics. Victory hinges on character synergies, smart use of abilities, and unit positioning. The consequences of combat are significant, as every hit could lead to the permanent death of a crusader. Engagements will pull you into deep, stat-driven, party-based combat with a variety of maps offering different tactical opportunities.
- Camp Management – Manage and develop a roster of up to 20 crusader knights while navigating scarce resources in a ravaged landscape. Develop your camp to support recruitment, healing, repairs, training, and more. Each crusader brings novelty to your camp with their own backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses as well as the ability to synergize with their Brothers. The upgradable buildings offer intricate interactions that are designed to foster experimentation and strategic campaign progression.
- Character Customisation – Progress your crusaders through attributes and abilities with skill trees encouraging versatile multi-role builds. Select equipment to support your combat strategy and improve upon it throughout your campaign. Without fixed character classes, abilities are universal and connect directly with crusaders’ weapons. Players can utilize a mix of active, passive, and semi-active abilities to craft their own playstyle.
- Dynamic Map Progression – The world changes over time, driven by a wide range of emergent player and NPC interactions. Your progress is influenced by a simulated invasion of demonic forces, triggering reactions from human factions. This relentless onslaught culminates in epic boss battles where the player has the power to emerge victorious; a savior of humanity. On this path, your gameplay will be influenced by world conditions, such as the saturation of demonic forces, changing seasons, and a day-night cycle.
- Crusade Against Abominations – You will have to face not only human enemies but also demonic creatures inspired by biblical descriptions and European folklore. Each of the enemy families has its strengths and weaknesses, encouraging the player to strategize and adjust their combat tactics.
- About Us – We are Virtual Alchemy, a small indie developer based in Poland, rooted in Europe’s rich medieval history. Band of Crusaders is our love letter to games that we personally enjoy playing. At heart, we believe in the freedom of player expression. We aim to create intellectually challenging games that each have their own unique and compelling identity.
