Shields of Loyalty News

📣 We are thrilled to announce that Shields of Loyalty has officially partnered with indie.io! This marks a huge step forward in bringing our dark fantasy, turn-based strategy game to even more players around the world.

[h3]About Game Publishers[/h3] For those of you who may not know, working with a game publishing platform like indie.io greatly helps indie developers focus on game development while they handle all the behind-the-scenes magic. From helping manage store pages to crafting marketing campaigns and even helping the game shine at both digital and live events, indie.io helps in all the aspects that indie developers often struggle with alone.

[h3]About Shields of Loyalty[/h3]
Inspired by classics like Fantasy General, Heroes of Might and Magic, and XCOM, Shields of Loyalty offers an old-school turn-based strategy experience, reimagined for modern players. The game is set in Mantaria, a dark fantasy island world where strategic mastery and unit synergy decide the fate of the battlefield.

With three distinct factions, a story-driven campaign, and a map editor for custom scenarios, the game has been a labour of love for our small indie team over the past six years. Our goal has always been to create a challenging, immersive strategy experience that fans of the genre will adore.



[h3]Why We Chose indie.io[/h3]
As an indie team, our focus has always been on crafting the best gameplay experience possible. Partnering with indie.io allows us to do just that. They’ve proven themselves to be champions of indie games, helping developers like us with everything from store page management to marketing campaigns and showcasing games at digital and live events.

Through this partnership, we’re excited to bring Shields of Loyalty to a wider audience and help even more players discover Mantaria’s world of strategy and adventure.



[h3]What’s Next?[/h3]
With indie.io’s support and your continued feedback, we’re closer than ever to achieving our vision for Shields of Loyalty. Update 0.9 is just the beginning of the exciting journey ahead.

[h3]Update 0.9, our biggest update yet![/h3]
This update introduces incredible new features that we can’t wait for you to experience:

• The Warlord Faction: Our second playable faction brings unique units, tactics, and an entirely fresh gameplay style to Shields of Loyalty.
  
• All-New Spell System: Unleash powerful magic with our revamped spell mechanics, adding strategic depth and variety to every battle.
  
• Revamped UI: Enjoy a smoother, more intuitive experience with our completely redesigned interface.
  
• And More!: Expect balance adjustments, new visual improvements, and gameplay enhancements based on your valuable feedback.
  

[h3]👉 Don’t forget to:[/h3]

• Follow and wishlist the game on Steam!
  
• Join our Discord community to share your thoughts and stay up-to-date with announcements.
  
• Check out indie.io’s publisher page for more great indie titles!
  

🔗 indie.io Publisher Page

We couldn’t have reached this milestone without our incredible community. Your support drives us forward every single day.

Thank you for your continued support, and welcome to the next chapter of Shields of Loyalty!

The Shields of Loyalty Team

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Fragments of the Hidden Path

As Aglovan and his companions pressed on after their victory in Therwall, whispers of Alaris's tower began to resurface. Located at the misty seaside cliffs, the tower was said to be hidden by a powerful spell, rendering it invisible to all but the bearer of a mysterious amulet. Their path seemed clear, but securing the amulet would be anything but simple.


The group reached a crumbling temple, cloaked in eerie silence. Faint beams of sunlight filtered through shattered windows, casting strange shadows over the ruins. The only sign of life was a withered priest, his face pale and his body thin from years of isolation. Bound by an ancient vow, he had willingly sealed half his being behind a stone wall to remain undisturbed in his endless prayers.


Despite his reluctance, the priest revealed a crucial truth: the amulet had been shattered and its fragments scattered to four sacred sites. The locations were veiled in secrecy, known only to a long-forgotten clairvoyant who dwelled in the treacherous ice desert far to the north. As a final plea to be left alone, the priest whispered an ominous warning: "The path to Alaris’s tower is fraught with trials, each more perilous than the last. Choose wisely where you tread, or you may never return."


With this cryptic knowledge, Aglovan and his companions set out to locate the fragments. But time was of the essence. Alaris’s plans were already in motion, and their window to thwart him was narrowing. The party steeled themselves for the trials ahead, knowing that the path to the clairvoyant—and ultimately the tower—would demand more than just courage.

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DevBlog #30 – January 23, 2025

Hello, loyal players and supporters!

We’re excited to share updates on what’s coming to Shields of Loyalty. In case you missed it, here’s a quick recap of what we’ve been working on, plus some news about Update 0.9 and beyond!



[h3]What’s Coming in Update 0.9 (January 29th)[/h3]

Mark your calendars because Update 0.9 is right around the corner! We’ve been working tirelessly to enhance the game, and this patch will include some significant improvements. Along with these changes, we’ll also share some surprise news about the future of Shields of Loyalty. Stay tuned for the announcement alongside the update—you won’t want to miss it!

[h3]Localization and Language Proofreading[/h3]

We’ve heard your feedback about translations and are dedicated to improving the game’s localization. Our goal is to proofread and polish all existing supported languages, add new ones, and make the game accessible to as many players as possible around the globe.

However, we’re currently prioritizing core game development to finalize the most critical aspects of gameplay. With new systems like the spell mechanic, we’ve added many new terms to localize and verify. Rest assured, language support is on our list, but it’s not our main focus at the moment.

Good news: one of our beta testers has already helped with French text proofreading, and the results are fantastic! A huge thank you to our community members who assist us in these efforts. We’re always looking for volunteers to help with localization and proofreading—if you’d like to contribute, especially before the 1.0 release, let us know!

[h3]Spell System Updates and Teasers[/h3]

As part of Update 0.9, we’ll reveal three more spells with GIFs and full tooltips:

• Bravery: Adds +2 movement points.
  
• Willpower: Grants an additional attack or spell.
  
• Pain of the Righteous: Deals 40 magical damage.
  

Bravery

Willpower

Pain of the Righteous

In addition, we’ve added tooltips for older spells from previous sneak peeks so you can check out their full effects. Here are the tooltips for some spells shared in DevBlogs #29 and earlier:

• Fireball: Deals 40 HP damage plus 10 HP burn damage for 3 rounds.
  
• Freeze: Cannot move or attack for 2 rounds; all defensive stats are halved for 1 round.
  
• Gust of Wind: Pushes the target unit back one space and stuns it for one round. Stunned units cannot attack, defend, cast spells, or use special abilities.
  
• Locust Swarm: Affected enemy units cannot use magic, special abilities, or other actions except their standard attack for 5 turns. Damage is capped at 50HP for all attacks during this time.
  
• Thorns: Deals 50 HP damage.
  
• Hope: Increases attack by +1 and defense by 10% for all types.
  

Check out the tooltips for these spells in our previous posts:

DevBlog #29
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1318240/view/523080695502865064

A Fresh Start for Shields of Loyalty: Welcome Back!
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1318240/view/520828168477606322

Stay tuned for GIFs showcasing the new spells!

[h3]Lore Piece #14: Aglovan’s Story Continues[/h3]

Lore lovers, rejoice! The next lore installment will continue Aglovan’s journey as his story approaches its thrilling conclusion. Keep an eye out for the update to dive deeper into the world of Shields of Loyalty.

[h3]New Forum Channel: #playtest-reports[/h3]

Thanks to our beta tester Cantora, we’ve added a new channel to our Discord server: #playtest-reports. This forum will help track existing issues, suggestions, and bugs. While it’s primarily used by beta testers during development, we’ll rely on your feedback after the 0.9 release to squash bugs and fine-tune the game. Big thanks to Cantora for the suggestion!

[h3]Your Support Means Everything[/h3]

We’re as eager as you are to see Shields of Loyalty reach its full potential. Your support, belief, and patience keep us motivated. Wishlist and share the game with your friends—it makes a massive difference for indie developers like us.

Wishlist here: bit.ly/SoLWishlist

Thank you for being on this journey with us. Let’s make Shields of Loyalty the best it can be—together!

See you in-game soon,
The Shields of Loyalty Team



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Greetings, adventurers of Shields of Loyalty! 👋

We’re deep in the trenches, working tirelessly to bring you the best experience possible as we move closer to the long-awaited 0.9 release, scheduled for January 29th! And guess what? We’ll have a surprise announcement alongside it, so mark your calendars and stay tuned! 👀

[h3]Here’s a sneak peek at what we’ve been crafting behind the scenes:[/h3]
✨ 3rd Avatar Unit Animations – New animations are in the works for the third Avatar unit, adding even more life to the battlefield.
💪 Warlords' Passive Abilities – We’re fine-tuning these powers to make them impactful and strategic.
🐛 Bug Fixing – Hunting down those pesky bugs to ensure a smoother, polished gameplay experience.
⚡ Feature Implementation & Special Abilities Rework – Adjustments are being made to ensure balance and fun across the board.
📜 Spell System Tooltips – Improving clarity for spell systems so you can strategize better.
🌍 Level Design – Designing and testing levels to keep the adventure engaging and fresh.

We want to reassure you: the journey toward 1.0 continues, and we’ve never been more determined to make Shields of Loyalty a game worthy of your time and excitement.

Stay tuned for January 29th, when the 0.9 update will launch along with some surprises. Thank you for believing in us and for your patience—it means the world to our small indie team!

💡 What excites you most about the upcoming update? Let us know in the comments!


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Therwall, the crown jewel of King Eldric II’s realm, has stood as an impenetrable bastion for centuries. Its towering walls, carved from the unyielding stone of the icy north, have withstood countless assaults from enemies both mortal and monstrous. But now, the castle faces its greatest challenge yet.


Among the attacking forces stands a name whispered with both fear and sorrow—Prince Desmon. Once a trusted hero of the realm and a loyal servant to Eldric II, Desmon’s betrayal cuts deeper than any sword. Years ago, he declared himself prince and attempted to overthrow the King, but his rebellion was crushed. Now, he returns, commanding the Undead horde in a twisted bid for power.


As we approach Therwall, the scene is one of chaos and carnage. The castle walls are scorched and battered, but they hold—for now. The enemy swarms like locusts, their siege engines hurling fire and destruction. Desmon’s Captain, a shadowy figure cloaked in dark armour, orchestrates the assault with ruthless efficiency, directing waves of skeletal warriors against the defenders.

The battle is fierce and unrelenting. Our forces clash with the Undead in a desperate bid to break their siege. The air is thick with the acrid stench of burning wood and the metallic tang of blood. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the attackers are driven back. The Captain falls, his dark armour shattered, and the Undead retreat into the night.


But our victory is bittersweet. There is still no sign of Prince Desmon, and the King’s fears remain. Eldric II has ordered us to seek out Alaris, his most trusted advisor and a powerful magician. Alaris, however, is a figure of controversy—once Desmon’s ally, he urged the King to dismiss the realm’s heroes following Desmon’s rebellion. Can we truly trust him to aid us now? With heavy hearts, we set out to find the magician, knowing the fate of Therwall and the entire realm hangs in the balance.


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