23 July 2015

New in Steam

King of Dragon Pass will be coming to Steam on 28 July. But the game has been available for mobile (iOS, Android, and Windows Phone), as well as the original version (either on CD or as patched to be downloadable by GOG.com). So what exactly is coming to Steam?

The version on Steam is essentially the mobile version, but tuned for desktop and laptop screen sizes (I ran it on a 30 inch iMac, but it should run on a 1024 x 576 netbook). HeroCraft has been responsible for the Steam versions, since I’ve been busy with Six Ages, so I am not completely sure of the specifics. But I believe the Steam achievements are the same as those we added in 2.0. There are also Steam Cards (which may have some new art).

So if you played on Windows or Mac before, you’d be moving from 1.7 to 2.2. There are 48 new scenes and 4 new illustrations (plus a new Lore map). There are also new advisors, and a lot more advice in management screens. There are also more treasures. We made many bug fixes (such as unblocking two of the original scenes), and fixed typos. You no longer have to worry about sheep. The economics system should no longer be quite as harsh, with death spirals less likely. (Rest assured that the game is still difficult, especially on the Hard setting.)

The Tula screen was too difficult to rework, but it wasn’t part of game play. And HeroCraft originally started their porting before our scene contest, so those scenes are currently only in the iOS version.

We like to avoid spoilers, so it’s hard to talk about just what the four dozen new scenes are about. We did mention the Troll Hero before, however. And here’s the artwork for one of them.

So if you have played King of Dragon Pass on a laptop or desktop, but not a mobile device, there’s a lot of new stuff. And if you haven ’t played at all, now’s your chance!

16 July 2015

Full Circle

The King of Dragon Pass dynasty began in 1999 with its release on CD-ROM for Windows and Mac. We polished the game and enriched it with more stories, and brought it to iOS in 2011. HeroCraft ported it to Android in 2014. We’re pleased to announce that King of Dragon Pass will again be available for Windows and Mac, via Steam.

HeroCraft has brought the game back to the desktop, and added Steam goodness such as trading cards. And even if you played it on Windows or Mac before, you’ll find some game improvements, dozens of new stories, and new artwork.

King of Dragon Pass will be US$12, and available beginning 28 July!