Knights of Frontier Valley is back for a second free Steam playtest, and there’s quite a bit more to explore this time. Launched on September 15, version 0.5 expands Adamant Studios and MicroProse’s old-school RPG with recruitable companions, two new cities, another playable chapter, and improvements requested during the first test.
Knights of Frontier Valley is an open-world RPG with gridless, turn-based tactical combat and a strong survival element.
Each adventure takes place in a procedurally generated valley, where developing your character goes hand in hand with managing hunger, thirst, fatigue, and injuries that take time to heal. Walking away from a fight in one piece is only part of the job.
You Can Now Bring Some Help
Companions are the addition that stands out most here. Although you still develop a single main character, version 0.5 lets you hire mercenaries and travel with quest characters who temporarily join your adventure.
Several followers can accompany you at once, helping you attack enemies from different directions and support one another in combat.
That should be particularly useful when your character’s strongest skills have little to do with fighting. They also share overnight watches, taking turns to rest and protect the group from surprise attacks.
There are more alternatives for characters who lack particular skills, too. Skilled craftspeople can make items for you when your own crafting or smithing abilities aren’t sufficient, while locked containers can now be forced open without picking the lock.
The expanded world includes two new cities, additional quests, another chapter, and a new dungeon type. A special navigation item helps you return to previously discovered locations, while an announcement board in Thyle’s market square provides quest hints and other information. A red flag signals when there’s something new to read.
You can also mine ore and gems in caves, throw certain items during battles, and perform music in town. Your musical performance skill determines whether that last activity earns some coins or leaves the locals wishing you had chosen another profession.
A Playtest, Not the Official Demo
Feedback from the earlier test has led to separate saves, inventory stacking, and balancing changes. There are now three death-penalty options, ranging from no penalty through a modest penalty to ironman’s game-ending consequences.
Technical work includes an alternative Vulkan renderer, a higher frame-rate limit, and audio and memory improvements intended to address stuttering and crashes reported by testers.
This version was originally intended to become the official demo. Adamant Studios and MicroProse instead opted for another playtest, giving development more time for interface translations and feedback before a wider demo launch.
You can request access through the Knights of Frontier Valley Steam page. The full game is in development for Windows PC, with Steam currently listing its release timing as Coming soon. Below are more details about the game and trailer.
About The Game
Get ready for unlimited adventures in Frontier Valley, a mystical and fabled place. Take on the role of an adventurer and guide him through years of his life in this unique and ever-changing world. Gain fame and fortune, while never losing sight of the most important goal: surviving!
- Explore a vibrant and dynamic world with realistic day/night-cycles, seasons, weather changes, and townsfolk working their shifts and meeting at the local tavern after hours.
- Fight in gridless, turn-based tactical combat, or choose to have battles automatically resolved for you quickly.
- Survive the dangers of both the wilderness and faction politics in a procedurally generated world full of secrets and lore.
- Choose your character from a number of different classes, customize his skills and appearance to your liking, and pursue a profession that fits your style of playing.
- Join a faction to gain titles and glory, or go at it alone in your search for long-lost wisdom and powerful artifacts.
- See your actions become part of the valley’s story, impacting friends and foes alike.
- Hand-drawn art with no generative AI content whatsoever.
- A true indie game with a homebrew engine, created by just one person.
Get immersed in a world that feels real
In many ways, the world of Knights of Frontier Valley feels familiar. Days grow longer in summer and shorter in winter, weather changes follow a realistic pattern according to the season, and even the moon phase changes as days pass by.
Honest citizens sleep at night, work during the day, and enjoy their time off. Less honest ones might have different working hours.You will get hungry, thirsty, and tired. You will suffer from the heat or the cold when wearing garment that is inappropriate for the season. You can get sick, poisoned, intoxicated, encumbered, and more.
Wounds sustained in combat will take time to heal. Protecting yourself with armor, and avoiding the attention of powerful enemies, is safer than relying on a backpack full of potions. Taking risks can be lucrative, but it can also end badly.Old-school gameplay
Knights of Frontier Valley was inspired by classic titles from the golden age of RPGs in the ’80s and ’90s. Like many games from back then, it is not easy to beat and making it to the end is a true accomplishment. Since your choices really matter, important decisions such as skill selections are usually final.
All information needed to proceed and to win is out there waiting to be found, but there are no quest markers.The game was designed to be played many times. Most aspects of the world are procedurally generated, including most maps, characters, items, faction relations, and more. No two games will ever be the same.
