Eternal Strands News

Eternal Strands, the new game from Dragon Age creative director Mike Laidlaw's Yellow Brick Games, is set to launch on January 28—and today Laidlaw announced that a week before that happens, a playable demo will be released to give curious gamers a taste of what it's all about...
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Hi everyone. Mike from the Eternal Strands team here with a little deep dive about how we’re handling lore in our game.

I’ve always been a big fan of games with rich backstories and a setting that extends beyond what’s strictly necessary for the game. It just makes the world feel more alive and gives the writing team interesting tidbits to drop into conversations. Better, I think it’s super cool to surface some of that lore to players through a system such as a “Codex” or “Glossary.”

We faced an interesting dilemma with Strands, though: as an action-adventure game, we’re aware most players will be here for the monster fighting and cool abilities, so we didn’t want to bog down the exploration of our open zones with big blocks of text. Another consideration for me when designing our codex system is that I wanted to bring some element of “investigation” and the sense of piecing together the mysteries of the Enclave, and big lore dumps just from clicking a plaque or what have you didn’t feel like the right path.

Thankfully, inspiration struck. Tonally, Eternal Strands is a game of what I’d call high adventure. Think a fantasy version of The Mummy, Tomb Raider, or Indiana Jones, and it was that latter touchstone that inspired the solution we went with. Rewatching The Last Crusade, I realized that something like Dr Henry Jones Sr.’s diary was exactly the vibe we were going for: fragments of information that make sense in the larger context.



So, how does that translate into gameplay? First, when exploring the world, Brynn can come across what we call “knowledge fragments.” We made them glow to make them easier to spot (extra easy at night), which is a convenient feature for players, but I think it’s fair to say it’s sort of a manifestation of Brynn’s keen eye and curiosity.



Clicking on one won’t give you a big block of text, but instead a little fragment of information. A clue, bit of data or evidence, that kind of thing.



These fragments are then collected in the codex screen and grouped together under headings. You can check them at any time, and of course, we pre-load the codex with full entries for subjects Brynn knows about at the start of game.



Once you have all the fragments for a subject, there’s enough information for the band’s Lorekeeper, Laen, to assemble a proper codex. Doing so grants the big, beefy compilation of information for you to read right then and there, or at your leisure when time allows.



I’m pretty happy with the result: it keeps the information you find out in the field small and bite-sized, while giving you a chance to read the big, detailed results of your lorekeeper’s research in the safety of your band’s camp.



The fragments also play a role in your ability to predict the extreme weather that can sometimes hit the various regions of the Enclave, as well as what massive creature might be in each zone, so they’re useful to collect even if lore isn’t your thing. Also, as a bit of a comfort feature, the game tracks how many of the fragments you’ve found in each zone, so you’ll know when your hunt for knowledge in that space has been completed. You won’t need all the fragments in a zone to get all the gameplay data, of course. Collecting them all is for the lore buffs and explorers.



So, there you have it. A fun little feature that I thought might be fun to talk about. We’ll look forward to your feedback on it when you get to play Eternal Strands this January!

- Mike Laidlaw, Creative Chief Officer - Yellow Brick Games

What type of game is Eternal Strands?

Eternal Strands is a single-player action-adventure fantasy title that offers action-packed combat, a rich story, and innovative gameplay.

What games inspired Eternal Strands?

There are many games that inspired our project, but to name a few: Dragon’s Dogma, Shadow of the Colossus, and the bright, colorful art style of games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

What makes Eternal Strands different?

Our game seamlessly weaves together gigantic adversaries, raging flame, chilling ice, and telekinetic force. The world becomes your weapon, as you blend combat with raw magic, allowing for real-time destruction and reactivity as you battle colossal foes. Our new system for gameplay interactions leverages the power of Unreal 5 to reward player creativity in exploration as much as combat. We can’t wait to see how you turn the tides and uncover the mysteries the Enclave holds!

How do the gameplay mechanics work?

Eternal Strands was designed to place reactive gameplay at the forefront of the player experience. Cast one of 9 magic spells (frost, flame or kinetic magic) and combine it with a different spell, a weapon ability, or something in the environment for a multitude of different interactions. The creative and strategic combat possibilities are endless!

Is this an open-world game?

While we have a few biomes within Eternal Strands, we would not classify the game as “open world,” but rather “open zone.” There are some interconnected areas, but by and large, these biomes have limitations in when you can access them defined by your progression through the story.

What is the gameplay loop?

Every day, you can head out into The Enclave to explore its treasures, fight enemies and gather resources. Return to basecamp to salvage your loot, craft new gear, upgrade your powers, catch up with your crew, and receive new quests.

What can you tell us about the looting & crafting system?

Materials and ressources that you collect on your expeditions across the different areas of the Enclave can be used to craft, reforge or upgrade your gear at Basecamp. Recipes are also hidden across the levels and once you find them, along with the required materials, you can then unlock new types of armor and weapons to craft.

What kind of weapons and armor will be available?

We have three main weapon types (e.g. sword & shield, bow & arrow, two-handed sword), but there are unique ways to customize all three. Each weapon type can be imbued with magic, for a total of 9 possible combinations. Each magic weapon comes with its own unique ability as well!

Will there be a mount or other ways of traversal?

No mounts or gliders – however, you can find ways to creatively get across the world in speed and style with Brynn’s kinetic powers 👀

When is the game releasing?

January 28th 2025 🥳 on Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Game Pass.

Will there be a public demo?

YES! We can confirm that a public demo will be available. More details will be shared at a later date.

Any post-launch content plans?

Yes! We've partnered with Square Enix’s Creative Studio III (known for FINAL FANTASY XIV Online and FINAL FANTASY XVI) to design original post-launch content for Eternal Strands. The first post-launch update will be available for free, and will feature a new Epic creature, weapons and armor set designed in collaboration with Creative Studio III’s renowned Lead Artist Yusuke Mogi (known for FINAL FANTASY XIV Online).

Can you tell us more about the story?

In Eternal Strands, you embark on your journey as a young magic-wielding Weaver named Brynn. With the help of her Weaverband, a group of skilled companions that help her in her explorations, she seeks to unravel the secrets of The Enclave.

A lifetime ago, The Enclave was a hub for magical development, trade, innovation and social life. But after arcane disasters spread across the Mayda region, it sealed itself away behind a magical wall known as the Veil. Decades of civil unrest followed and ever since, Weavers have been ostracized and condemned to nomadic lives.

The story of Eternal Strands offers ways to build bonds and friendships with our rich cast of characters through dialogue choices. While the game itself does not have difficult moral choices that will sprawl out into multiple endings, or a giant social link system seen in games like Persona, you can still expect to see these dialogue choices impact Brynn’s personality and the way characters interact with her.


What can you tell us about Brynn, the protagonist?

Brynn is a badass treasure hunter and adrenaline junkie. She alone is responsible for diving headfirst into danger, and coming back with lost artifacts or treasure. Her expeditions are the driving force behind what her travelling companions are able to discover about the Enclave. She is the embodiment of the idea that “it’s cool to care,” and being unabashedly passionate about whatever it is you’re into. We can’t wait for players to meet her!

Is there a dog we can pet?

No dogs, but you can pet the Arva!

Who is going to be composing the music?

None other than legendary composer Austin Wintory, known for his work on projects like Journey, Stray Gods, and Assassin’s Creed Syndicate! 🎵💛

I’m a content creator - can I collaborate with the dev team or get a key to play the game?

Thank you for your interest – we'd love to connect with you 😊 You can apply to our partner program here: https://www.eternalstrandsgame.com/community or send us an email at [email protected] !

Will there be key binding and controls customization options?

Yes, they’ll be available in the controls menu on release.

What specs are needed to run the game?

Minimum specs are:
• Performance: 60 FPS @ 1080p
• Graphic settings: Low
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super [6GB] / AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT [6GB] / Intel Arc A580
• CPU: Intel Core i5-9400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3350G
• RAM: 8GB
• OS: Windows 10 / 11
• Additional Notes: SSD required.

Recommended specs are:
• Performance: 60 FPS @ 1440p
• Graphic settings: High
• GPU: GeForce RTX 3070 [8 GB] / Radeon RX 6800 [16GB] / Intel Arc A770
• CPU: Intel Core i5-11600 / AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
• RAM 16GB
• OS: Windows 10 / 11
• Additional Notes: SSD required.

We are also working towards being Steam verified. This will likely be available shortly after launch.

Do you have more questions that aren't answered here? Drop them in the comments!

I'm feeling downright optimistic about Eternal Strands, an upcoming RPG from Dragon Age vet Mike Laidlaw's new studio Yellow Brick Games. For those not in the know about who Laidlaw is, he was the lead director and designer of Origins, Dragon Age 2, and Inquisition—as for the game, let me break it down for you...
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Less than one hour until our composer Austin Wintory breaks down the opening cinematic of Eternal Strands! Check it out live here 💛

Steam 👉 https://bit.ly/4fdseSq
YouTube 👉 https://bit.ly/4fc2TZ7

Dans moins d’une heure, notre compositeur Austin Wintory va décortiquer la cinématique d’ouverture de Eternal Strands! Viens voir ça en direct ici 💛