Blood Sword News

[p]I'm writing this on a hot (34 C° / 93.2 °F) July day, sipping a cup of slightly overbrewed coffee at my desk. In just a day, I'm off on a short vacation with my family - the kind of trip where you need another day or two to recover once you're back. But before I disappear into the dungeons beneath our mountains (and offline), I wanted to share a few thoughts and updates on how Blood Sword is coming along.[/p][p][/p][h2]The Grind Begins[/h2][p]With the Warrior and Enchanter class spotlights out in the wild, I was tempted to finally unveil the curtain on the grind phase toward the release. What is my short-term goal? A playable demo.[/p][p]But not just a short demo - a complete vertical slice. A condensed, honest taste of the full experience. It’s got it all: story, tactical combat, choices that matter, and world exploration. It’ll let you see where this is all headed - and more importantly, give me feedback while there’s still time to make meaningful changes.[/p][p]This game is going to take years of my life to make and support, dedicated to it full time. Every system, every screen, every spell - it all needs to count.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Little Things, Big Feel[/h2][p]I’ve been doing a lot of polish work lately.[/p]

• [p]All menus now animate more smoothly, with curved easing and outing, so they feel snappy and responsive.[/p]
• [p]Story notes now snap together like pieces of a parchment - and choices appear step by step, like branching thoughts in a living manuscript.[/p]
• [p]The world map is alive now: wind, snow, rain, glowing fires, chimney smoke - the kind of little details that make Legend feel like, well, Legend.[/p]
• [p]Next up: the sea. I’ve got my eye on a couple shaders to bring those waves to life.[/p]

[h2]Items[/h2][p]All demo items are now in. I’m working on the logic that differentiates identified vs unidentified items - you’ll need the Sage’s Occult Lore passive skill to appraise and unlock their full potential.[/p][p]The inventory UI got some love too: slot highlights for better drag & drop feedback, and resizable loot chests that adapt to the amount of gear, so the story text doesn’t get shoved offscreen.[/p][p][/p][h2]Combat Order and Other Goodies[/h2][p]You can now reorder your party via drag & drop on the battle order screen - decide who’s getting decapitated first and who gets to watch.[/p][p]Victory and defeat screens are in. I also added a basic intro screen for each Act and some dev tools for loading test battles quickly.[/p][p]Still left: the quest journal, the scroll-map UI, and a proper checkpoint window. Once those are done, I’ll shift fully to building out combat maps, abilities, and spell systems.[/p][p] [/p][h2]Gather your party before venturing forth[/h2][p]This demo also doubles as a wishlist push - I’m aiming for the sweet spot of 7,000 wishlists before launch. That’s the threshold where this project gets a serious visibility boost from Popular Upcoming tab on Steam.[/p][p]If you’re reading this and excited for what’s coming - wishlisting is one of the biggest ways to support the game right now.[/p][h2][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/h2][p]Thanks for sticking with me on this journey. For the support, the feedback, the memes, and just being part of it all.[/p][p]
- Victor[/p][p]Solo dev, coffee addict, and keeper of mysterious dice[/p]

[p][/p][h2]In the world of Legend, warriors walk many paths.[/h2][p]Some are Knights, heirs to a shattered code of chivalry, trained in the civilised realms of Albion, Chaubrette, or the war-torn reaches of Kurland. Clad in chain and bound by oaths - or merely the memory of them - they stride into battle like avatars of the old world.[/p][p]Others are Barbarians, sons and daughters of the Eastern Steppes, the icy coasts of Thuland, or the burning sands of distant deserts. They owe fealty to no liege, but fight with the raw ferocity of a storm made flesh.[/p][p]And yet others wear no banner at all - only blood and dust - veterans of mercenary campaigns, tavern brawls, and a dozen wars no bard ever sang of.[/p][h2]In Blood Sword, the Warrior can be any of them.[/h2][p]You begin not with spells, but with steel. No illusions, no tricks - only muscle, training, and the refusal to fall.[/p][p][/p][p]You wear chainmail from the start, with an Armour Rating of 3, giving you unmatched durability. Your Fighting Prowess surpasses that of any class - you hit more often, and harder. Your Military Training unlocks a brutal arsenal:[/p]

• [p]Weapon Proficiency sharpens every strike.[/p]
• [p]Vigor and Fortify turn you into an immovable object.[/p]
• [p]Battle Cry rattles the enemy line, Whirlwind carves through it.[/p]
• [p]Battering Ram breaks formations. Precision Stance sacrifices defense for raw killing power.[/p]
• [p]And when things get desperate? Even bare hands become weapons with Unarmed Combat Mastery.[/p]
• [p]Let's not forget Ambidexterity or the legendary Merciless Strikes at higher ranks.[/p]

[p]Some Warriors fight for gold. Others for vengeance, for glory, for their gods. You? You fight because it’s all you’ve ever known. Barbarian or Knight. Mercenary or exile. The Warrior survives where others fall.[/p][p][/p][p]📜 Add Blood Sword on your wishlist and return for future tales of steel, sorcery, and survival! [/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

Hey adventurers,

Big news — Blood Sword has been officially selected to take part in the Turn-Based Thursday Festival 2025, running June 2nd to June 9th! And that’s not all — the fest has been given front-page visibility on Steam as part of a curated spotlight for the event. That kind of opportunity is rare for an upcoming indie RPG like this, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to see Blood Sword standing among the best of the genre like Baldur's Gate 3, Wildermyth and many, many more.

If you're discovering the game for the first time:

Blood Sword is a party-based, story-rich tactical RPG set in a brutal fantasy world of duels, dark gods, ancient tournaments, and branching destiny. Based on the legendary gamebook series by Dave Morris and Oliver Johnson, it’s a faithful but modern reimagining — built for both returning fans and new explorers.

✨ Wishlisting now means everything.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3645170/Blood_Sword/

This week-long event celebrates the full spectrum of turn-based gaming: from classic tactical combat to experimental deckbuilders, chill sims to intricate 4X strategy. The festival will feature hundreds of titles, all built on smart choices, careful planning, and the kind of gameplay that rewards thinking over twitch reflexes.

[h2]For Blood Sword, it’s the perfect fit.[/h2]

• Tense, turn-based battles.
  
• Persistent characters with unique class paths.
  
• A branching story where every encounter matters.
  
• And a game world built on deliberate choices and irreversible consequences.
  

[h2]What’s in the Festival?[/h2]

• Featured on Steam's front page throughout the week
  
• A massive turn-based sale (check out sibling title Fabled Lands while you're at it!)
  
• Over 400 curated games across every subgenre
  
• Twitch & YouTube showcases from top creators
  
• Daily giveaways and Discord discussions in the Turn-Based Games community
  

Why Now?
I'm still early in Blood Sword’s development — with lots more to share this summer — but events like this help make the difference. Every wishlist is a signal to Steam, a potential future player, and a boost to visibility that small indie games like mine rely on.


🐺 Join the official Discord
📺 Follow the festival here
⚔ Wishlist Blood Sword

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3645170/Blood_Sword/

Thanks again for your continued support. The gates of the Palace of Eternal Dusk will open soon...

– Victor

In the north, along the savage coasts of Mercania and Thuland, magic is primal and raw. The shamans and rune-mages there call themselves Elementalists, harnessing fire, wind, water, and darkness through sheer force of will. They are respected - or feared - as tricksters, spirit-binders, and storm-callers. Those who dare to wield darkness are reviled, cursed with spiritual penalties known as geases for walking forbidden paths.

But not all magicians are wild sorcerers of the north. Across the civilized lands of Legend, magic is studied, codified, and bound into parchment. These magicians are Sorcerers - learned, methodical, and always left-handed by tradition. They master scrollcraft, alchemy, enchanted items, and attuned wands. A seasoned Sorcerer may enter battle with a belt of potions, a book of spells, and a wand humming with latent power.



[h2]Skill Trees and New Design Philosophy[/h2]

In Blood Sword, these two magical lineages converge. A major departure from the books, the Enchanter now evolves through the skill tree - choosing whether to follow the raw, instinctive path of the Elementalist or the structured arcana of the Sorcerer.

Rather than locking story interactions behind class choice, spells and special options now depend on what you’ve actually invested in. Acquire the right passives, and you might call lightning, brew healing draughts, or inscribe your own scrolls.

To balance this, you’ll find synergy nodes woven into the combat trees - opening up powerful interactions between your spellcasting and martial abilities. Your Enchanter is not just a caster, but a customizable arcane archetype.



Here’s a glimpse of the Arcane Mastery tree:

Mystic Focus – Raise your Psychic Ability

Arcane Precision – Improve spellcasting reliability

Stormcaller’s Will – Extend and electrify lightning spells

Infernal Pyromancy – Amplify fire spells and ignite enemies

Arcane Supremacy – Cast with unmatched precision - or even auto-succeed

Your magic doesn’t just grow stronger - it adapts to your decisions, shaping itself around your tactics and party synergy.

[h2]Why am I splitting or mixing the Enchanter like this?[/h2]

This is not exactly mixing or splitting, more like layering. I'm taking the Enchanter from the books and building specialization paths on top of it - like the Elementalist and Sorcerer traditions from Dragon Warriors RPG (from the same duo behind the Blood Sword gamebook series. Both are set in the same dark medieval world of Legend). You won't be able to max out everything, so you'll have to choose where to focus. Some spells (like Summon Faltyn or Prediction) are now tied to skill tree passives instead of just your class, and story checks look for specific abilities rather than just "Are you an Enchanter?" It’s a shift, but one that gives more agency and lets players build the kind of caster they imagine.

[h2]What’s Next?[/h2]

More class reveals are coming - the Warrior, the Sage, and the Trickster each bring their own philosophy to the battlefield.

Wishlist the game now to follow the journey!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3645170/Blood_Sword/

Blood Sword has only just been announced, and already it has passed 1026 wishlists in our first week.

To put that into perspective: when I launched Fabled Lands, it had 430 wishlists in the same amount of time.

I'm floored.

Whether you're here as a long-time fan of the books, a tactical RPG enjoyer, or just someone curious about a gritty new fantasy world - thank you. This early support means everything. It gives the project momentum, and more importantly, the energy it needs to reach its full potential.

[h2]A Long Road Ahead[/h2]

Blood Sword is still relatively early in development. It's a big project, and one that I'm taking very seriously. But it's also a passion project. One that I've been quietly building toward for years.

In the weeks ahead, I'll start sharing a mini dev-log series, giving you a peek behind the curtain:

• How I'm adapting narrative gamebook structure to a digital RPG
  
• What's new in the design (including full skill trees for each class)
  
• Combat systems and engine choice
  
• Visual development and UI design
  

These posts won't be massive info dumps - just regular, honest looks at how the game is evolving and what I'm working on each month.

[h2]Memory from the Mahala[/h2]

I still remember hauling the gamebooks down to the neighborhood gazebo and gathering with my friends for what was unknowingly our first ever roleplaying session. Everyone picked a hero, while I took the role of narrator (and monster master, of course). We were five kids, the books were written for four players - so we got creative.

One of my favorite memories? Our Enchanter trying to land Nemesis Bolt over and over again. Every round he’d roll... and fail. But when he finally pulled it off, hitting with those 7d6+7 damage - we all screamed with joy like we’d just beaten the final boss.

Moments like that are why I’m making this game.

[h2]Stay on the Path[/h2]

I don't know how long the road will be, but I know it's the one I want to walk. If you're still reading this, chances are you're someone who feels the same way.

And that makes all the difference.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3645170/Blood_Sword/