This release seems to have flown under the radar in both my weekly and monthly roundups. But today we’ve got confirmation: Successor, an intriguing roguelite from Playwood Project—the team behind Wartile, which many of you will remember—is set to enter Early Access at the end of May.
I think I tried it out way back when it was first announced, though I can’t say for sure. Either way, Successor is shaping up to be a promising tactical game. Unlike its predecessor, it leans into real-time combat with the option to pause, while still retaining those gorgeous diorama-style battlefields that I’ve always found incredibly striking.
Playwood Project launched a Kickstarter campaign in April, but unfortunately, it didn’t meet expectations. Still, they didn’t give up—instead, they’re moving forward with an Early Access release, planning to shape development and updates around community feedback.
As for game-specific details, the game is set in a dark fantasy world and brings a living tabletop to life with handcrafted diorama visuals and rogue-lite progression. You’ll step into the role of a Lord, leading a squad of miniature warriors across procedurally generated kingdoms, making tough decisions with permanent consequences.
What sets Successor apart is its hybrid combat system. Battles unfold in real-time, but you can pause the action at any time to plan out moves, trigger abilities, and line up combos before returning to the fray.
Each run offers new terrain, enemy compositions, and challenges, with environments that can shift the outcome of battle thanks to terrain effects and environmental hazards. And with Early Access just beginning, Playwood Project already has a roadmap packed with additional content—new Lords, enemies, biomes, and systems shaped by community feedback.
Successor’s miniature board-game aesthetic reinforces the sense of scale and immersion that made Wartile stand out. With handcrafted story campaigns and a customizable Adventure Mode, there’s plenty of stuff. I think it’s only right to keep an eye on this title—and support it—because there’s serious potential here. Successor launches into Steam Early Access for both PC and Steam VR on May 29, 2025. Below is an overview, screens and trailer.
About The Game
Diorama boards are full of tactical options.
Engage enemies across diverse biomes, each offering unique tactical options like throwing axes, burnable fields, and wild animals. Occupy archer towers or strategically position your party to gain the upper hand or kick them off a cliff.
The initiative is always yours.
Successor combines real-time strategy with turn-based tactics, letting you pause command and unleash abilities instantly in a Focus Moment — always keeping you in control without waiting for your turn.
Lords & Heroes
At the start of each adventure, you can choose between three unique Lords, each with its own combat style and skill trees. However, the lord alone is not enough. You must build a party of battle-hardened heroes and weaponize them to face the challenges ahead.
Build, discover, conquer, unlock, repeat.
Successor is a universe full of unboxed challenges, mysteries, and items set in an adventure generated as procedural regions and kingdoms waiting to be unlocked.
Try the Campaign Generator and unlock new secrets.
Choose your preferred size and difficulty, and add kickers to shape the experience; here, you can unlock new heroes, biomes, and items by completing challenges.
Procedural generated Kingdoms
Dive into a unique kingdom every time! Our game dynamically crafts new regions and challenges for each run. As you play the universe, you will unlock & uncover new heroes, abilities, weapons, and equipment that will gradually increase your chance of survival as you undertake more dangerous adventures.
