It’s exactly what I’ve always hoped to see in a turn-based RPG: those ruthless mechanics that Dark Souls and FromSoftware games, each in their own way, have taught us to endure.
And that’s what developer Fardust, led by Michał Bernat, best known for the turn-based titles Alder’s Blood and the infernal Nadir, and publisher Awaken Realms are now trying to bring into this brand-new project, Shards of Order.
Michał sent me a playable build that gave me access to the first half hour of gameplay, and right from the start, I realized that every design choice feels spot-on. This might just be the closest thing yet to a turn-based Dark Souls.
Dark Settings and Narrative
The build I tried begins inside a nest, where the first playable character, identified simply as a soldier, is quarreling with another member of his own army. The comrade accuses him of dragging them all into trouble, right up until a massive winged creature swoops in and devours the unfortunate man before the protagonist’s eyes.
At this point, the game starts introducing the basics of its combat system (which I’ll get to in a moment) and then gives you the tools to escape from this hopeless encounter.
The Dark Souls inspiration is immediately obvious, not only in the art style of the environments but also in the monster designs, and let’s not forget the protagonist himself, wielding a massive sword straight out of Berserk.
The first section of the game available in this build is drenched in a bleak atmosphere. Every encounter serves as a reminder of the cruelty of this world and the need to restore the lost laws in order to bring order back to this decaying land.
The adventure is filled with choices to make, and make no mistake, this isn’t a roguelite. This is a story-driven RPG, one that will regularly confront you with decisions. Sometimes you’ll be forced into a path if you lack the right skills; other times, you’ll have open options that can shape your entire journey.
Exploring a World in Decay
Shards of Order uses a style of exploration usually seen in roguelites, the familiar branching nodes, but here, these nodes spread across a map that gradually reveals itself, and most importantly, they can be freely revisited.
You might return to an area you’ve already explored, only to find a locked gate that forces you to come back later with the right key, or a node where a monster is simply too powerful to face yet, demanding more time and experience before you can take it down.
Roughly twenty minutes in, you’ll meet two additional playable characters: the Scholar and the Exile. Both introduce completely different combat styles and mechanics, and beyond that, their unique skills shape the narrative and exploration paths available to you.
Along the way, you’ll also gather clues that must be pieced together to claim rewards, and you’ll gain access to a limited-use bell that restores your party’s HP. Sound familiar?
All in all, the exploration system provides a satisfying sense of freedom, letting you tackle the adventure in the way that best suits you. The final build is set to include three full regions, and if they’re all this open to exploration, there’s real depth to be found here.
Classic Deckbuilding with More Than A Twist
Now we get to the core of Shards of Order: the combat system. At first glance, it’s a deckbuilder like many you’ve played before, but its unique twist is that turns aren’t dictated by action points. Instead, every enemy has an hourglass that ticks down based on your actions.
For example, a skill might consume two units of time, which causes the enemy’s hourglass to drop by two, bringing their attack closer. This structure adds a distinctive rhythm to battles, forcing you to weigh each move carefully.
Each character has its own dedicated mechanics. The Soldier relies on raw strength and builds up rage, which grants strength boosts, making him increasingly devastating.
The Scholar collects three types of mana, generated by the damage dealt by allies, and can channel these points to amplify his skills.
Meanwhile, the Exile, an archer, has four arrow slots that can be loaded and then unleashed all at once, or tactically spaced out. It’s somewhat reminiscent of the Orb Walker mechanic from Slay the Spire.
The deck itself is shared across all characters. Drawing from the deck normally consumes units of time, moving enemies closer to their turn, unless you’ve played at least three cards, then the draw is free.
Every enemy attack is telegraphed, showing which area they’ll strike, giving you a chance to reposition. Movement costs one unit of time.
Another standout feature is how character knockouts are handled. When a hero’s HP bar hits zero, they don’t die, but they stay in the battle and fall into a crippled state. To bring them back into the fight, you’ll need to play a specific card. However, each subsequent knockout increases the card cost, making recovery more and more demanding.
Characters and Their Growth
Each character progresses by earning experience points after every battle. On level up, you’ll choose a new skill, which unlocks the corresponding card in that character’s deck.
This system pushes you to carefully evaluate which skills to unlock, fitting them together with those of your other party members so that everyone performs at their best, especially when combined with the gear they’re equipped with.
Every character has slots for armor, a weapon, and an accessory, and these pieces of equipment directly shape the kind of build you’ll create.
The weapons and armor aren’t just stat boosts; they also alter the characters’ appearance, which is always a welcome touch in games like this.
In the demo, I was able to try out three of the five characters that will be available in the full release.
Aesthetics and Concept
Before wrapping up, it’s worth highlighting the game’s visual style, which I found striking. The dark environments and inspired monster designs really stand out.
At times, some of the creatures reminded me vaguely of Attack on Titan, while others carried that distinct Hidetaka Miyazaki touch, high praise indeed.
Of course, this is still a build that may look quite different from the final release, but in terms of UI, the game already feels like it’s in a good place: clean, straightforward, and pleasing to the eye.
The combat animations are excellent as well. A nice touch is seeing the Soldier’s body physically change as his rage meter climbs, reflecting his growing power.
Release Date and Platforms
Shards of Order doesn’t yet have a release date, but it will be officially showcased during the upcoming Steam Next Fest in October, where you’ll likely be able to try the demo yourself.
That said, this is definitely a title worth keeping an eye on, even if deckbuilders aren’t usually your thing. You’ll find the link to the Steam page here, along with the trailer below.
