There’s just no denying it: the RPG formula where you manage mercenaries, soldiers, or whoever you like, tackling a campaign in the world that best suits you, watching your troops grow stronger over time, is one of the things I love most about this genre.
That’s why I’ve always adored XCOM, and why I loved Battle Brothers just as much, for that incredible sense of progression that makes you bond with your units and genuinely mourn their loss for days when one of them falls in battle.
Well, today I want to introduce Rising Army, a strategy RPG developed by the Italian team Arkbits. It builds squarely on that same foundation, giving you command of an army and its camp, all wrapped in a sandbox-style experience.
Just like in Battle Brothers, you’ll roam across a beautifully stylized world map dotted with points of interest, cities where you can take on quests, spend your hard-earned gold with local vendors, and gather resources scattered across the land. Along the way, you’ll run into encounters, some friendly, others not so much, that you can approach in different ways.
Let’s start with the nerve center of your army: the camp. This is the heart of Rising Army. From here, you’ll manage your troops, oversee your stockpiled resources, and handle the construction and upgrading of buildings that improve both efficiency and the quality of life for your soldiers.
There are several types of resources to collect in order to build or upgrade structures. You can earn them by completing quests or by gathering them as you explore the world map.
Among these resources, of course, are food and coins, both distributed to every soldier at the end of each day.
These resources are vital for the steady growth of your army, but the most crucial element to keep an eye on is the satisfaction of the king you serve. He’s the one granting you these supplies, and his approval grows as you perform your duties effectively. Disappoint him, however, and you’ll face a grim and inevitable game over.
Now, let’s get to the big difference, beyond the visual style, between this game and Overhype Studios’ title: the combat system. In Rising Army, battles are governed by an autobattler system. That means your main task is to deploy your available units on the battlefield, ideally in a smart formation, like placing archers and spearmen in the rear while your heavily armored troops hold the front line.
After that, all you can do is watch the battle unfold and keep an eye on your soldiers’ morale. When they’re under heavy pressure, you can blow the war horn to give them a small boost.
This is where I feel there could be a bit more room for player control. Of course, it’s meant to be an autobattler, and it should be taken as such, but personally, I’d love the option to pause the fight and check the status of each unit, both allied and enemy.
Maybe the horn could have an alternate effect beyond just preventing your troops from fleeing, something to add a bit more depth to the combat experience.
Of course, this is just a demo build, and many of these features might already be in the works over at Arkbits.
Each soldier comes with stats that directly affect their performance in battle: strength, dexterity, speed, and constitution are some of them, and in the future, skills and traits will add even more depth to every individual unit.
You’ll have three equipment slots: one for armor, one for a weapon, and one for an accessory. These items boost various stats and change the soldier’s look, which is always a nice touch for me.
The art style is vibrant, and I particularly appreciated the clean, well-designed UI, not to mention the background music, which perfectly fits the game’s setting.
Of course, this is still just a demo, and the experience right now feels fairly simple and straightforward. But, imagining all the potential systems and variations that could be added, Rising Army looks like a title with the potential for countless hours of gameplay.
Rising Army is slated for release in Q4 2025 on PC via Steam, and this demo is absolutely worth checking out. Below the announcement trailer.
