The Necromancer's Tale News

Fans and supporters, we are resetting the game release date and this announcement contains a full status update including the rationale for the new date. A huge thank you to the team who have at this point implemented over 350,000 words in the game narrative, over 180 unique NPCs, a robust combat system, and an incredible city and environs.

The bulk of game content is now in place, and has been heavily tested from a bugs point of view, but we need some more time to do playthrough testing, balancing, and content tweaks. Please continue to report bugs in the demo, in particular the specific places where you find you can run through walls - this has been an ongoing challenge since we implemented and continue to improve free-movement with WASD/joystick control. We would like to say a huge thank-you to our supporters who continue to help us improve overall quality.

We want to ensure we release the game to our highest achievable standard and trust therefore that your patience will continue as we endeavour to bring you the best experience we can.

[h2]Narrative[/h2]
We have implemented over 350,000 words in the game narrative, with about 25,000 words left to write. Books, lore, and journal notes are complete and add about 25,000 more, bringing the game to around 400,000 in total. This has been a huge undertaking over the last 4 years, involving a writing team of 8 part-time writers/editors.



[h2]Characters[/h2]
Over 180 unique NPCs are now in the game, playing major and minor roles in the game plots, as well as many having their own sidequests. Almost all have partial voice-acting, from our 25 voice actors.



[h2]Combat[/h2]
The combat system is core-complete, having undergone some major revisions in the last 2 years. A few battle-magic spells and crafted battle-potions remain to implement- these generally require knowledge that you pick up while exploring dungeons, forests and ruins.



[h2]Open-World[/h2]
The over-world is complete, including the city and its environs (forests, cemeteries, canyons). Building interiors are complete, as are most of the underground and arcane areas (caves, crypts, catacombs, realms of the dead)- some small underground regions remain to complete.



[h2]Dates & Release Plans[/h2]

[h3]Development[/h3]
End-2024: Core content complete - main quests and sidequests.
Feb 2025 Controllers & Steam Deck finalising & certifying.
March 2025: Completion of voice and ambient sound.
April 2025: Completion of additional narrative and open-world side content.
May 2025: Completion of Battle-magic and Potions.

[h3]Testing[/h3]
Balancing (trust and tension systems, skillchecks, combats) to run Feb-May 2025.
Coverage playtests to run Feb-April 2025.

[h3]Release[/h3]
May 2025: Release-Announcement Trailer
May 2025: New Demo (with unseen content)
June 2025: Steam NextFest
Late June/early July 2025: Game Release.

The Necromancer's Tale free demo is in the Steam Scream Fest 2024!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

A major focus of the game is gaining the power to raise the dead, through rituals and spells - and then to use them as your personal army. In order to progress, you will need to explore dangerous crypts, dungeons, and wilderness areas - and for this, skeletons and zombies make ideal bodyguards.

As the game continues, you'll gain access to various other magical and undead allies/slaves, including the ghost of an ancient shaman, a reanimated flesh golem, a wight, and some daemons.

The Royal Ball occurs mid-game, at which point the player has solved the murder-mystery focus of the first half of the game, while gaining their fledgling necromantic powers. Their reality is confused now, as they struggle to come to terms with the duality of the mortal realm and the realm of the dead, while building their power in order to exact revenge on the murderer.



In the Royal Ball, the player navigates the complex social circles of 1730s nobility, while having ghosts and demons whispering lies in their ears. The player is trying to gain evidence to prove their father's killer, and narrative choices offer the risk of exposing the player's rising insanity, and having them ejected from the ball or even arrested. The process is framed as a mini-game where Concern, Suspicion, and Stress rise towards crisis levels…



Lord Richard Carnell is a weaselly sycophant, closest adviser to the Baron, and deeply suspicious of the player. He could have critical information, if he can be manipulated the right way.



Lady Agnes Carnell, the cold, enigmatic wife of Richard: stuck in a loveless marriage and harbouring one or two valuable secrets, and a flirtatious nature…



Marija and Stanislav are a couple from the northern provinces of Rulsthen. New money, newly wedded, and irritatingly in love.



The great English writer Alexander Pope is a guest at the Ball, researching his great Essay on Man, as well as a more secretive work. A useful contact and ally, perhaps, if you can stand his pompous language.



Ali Mustafa Pasha is a vizier from the Ottoman Empire, accompanied by his magical servant, a Djinn, who cannot be seen by ordinary mortals but who can see the player and some of their crimes.



The player’s uncle Jervase Van Elstrik, the Baron himself, is a man under pressure and grieving for his brother (your father).



Mirabel Van Elstrik is the player’s aunt, wife of the Baron. A sad woman haunted by her own ghosts.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

In The Necromancer's Tale, a major focus for the player is building up their army of the dead, to protect them when exploring, and eventually to march against their enemies. This involves researching and practicing black magic rituals as well as a variety of spells that can be cast during combat.

Combat itself is turn-based, and involves a potent mix of undead minions and 18th-century "conventional" weapons.