Challenging turn-based RPG Stoneshard gets “largest update” ever

If you love turn-based combat and fantasy RPGs, then Stoneshard is a game that may have already blipped on your radar in the past. Admittedly, it’s been slogging it out in early access for close to five years now after launching in February 2020, but hey, we’ve seen some brilliant games emerge from even longer stints in early access eventually. The next step on its long path to 1.0 is its Rags to Riches update, which is the biggest update the game has seen to date.

In Stoneshard, you are a relentless mercenary who is roaming a war-torn medieval kingdom that’s looking to earn a living by picking up bounties and contracts. You explore the open world of Aldor from a top-down perspective, and just like the RPG‘s challenging turn-based combat, exploration is no easy ride either. You’ll have to plan expeditions carefully, pick the right resources to take with you, and treat your own wounds after skirmishes in order to replenish your health. While the regular experience is difficult enough, the Ironmode throws permadeath into the mix too for those who want the ultimate challenge.

Throughout its time in early access, the focus has mainly been on mastering the game’s many systems and adding new gameplay features rather than expanding the actual content offering, and that trend continues with the new Rags to Riches update. A dozen brand new or majorly overhauled systems have been added with this patch, and developer Ink Stains Games says it’s confident that “it will transform Stoneshard into a brand new experience.”

One area that’s undergone some improvement is the RPG’s dungeons. The tech that generates dungeons has been reworked so that they are created upon entry, and new “dungeon conditions” add modifiers that may potentially introduce unexpected challenges and increase the reward you get for clearing them. Essentially, it’s been given more than a sprinkle of roguelike magic.

A brand new caravan system has been added that allows you to fast travel across Aldor using a new resource called fodder. You can also store items in your caravan, sell directly from it if you’re posted up near a settlement, improve it with 24 different upgrades, and recruit caravan companions who come with “unique specializations, perks, events, and dialogues.”

Elsewhere in the very long list of major changes is a new cooking system with 40 recipes, 35 pieces of new equipment, and a big rework to progression. There’s also loads of balance changes which will be important to take note of if you’ve been playing Stoneshard already. You can read the full patch notes here.

The Rags to Riches update for Stoneshard is live right now, and the game is currently 30% off if you want to pick it up and help push it along the early access path. The new update has already seen a significant spike in Steam players, with a peak of 5,200 since it dropped.

If you love some aspects of Stoneshard but aren’t convinced by the full package yet, there may be something for you in our guides to the best medieval games and the best turn-based strategy games.

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