- A Viking Survival Story from Norse Mythology by a Two-Person Development Team from Slovakia
- Viking action tower defense combining exploration, construction, and real-time combat
Publisher Daedalic Entertainment and Slovakian two-person indie development studio Black Deer Games have unveiled a new game , ‘Hordeguard: Winds of the North’ .
Positioning itself as an action tower defense game, ‘Hordegard: Winds of the North’ features a unique worldview based on Norse mythology. It is characterized by the organic combination of real-time action combat, settlement construction, an RPG-style progression system, and highly free-form exploration elements.
In particular, the harsh northern world realized through 3D graphics and the ceaseless swarms of mythical monsters are expected to deliver a unique sense of intense tension to players. The game supports PC (Steam), but the exact release date has not yet been announced.
A race against time, the choice between exploration and defense
Every battle in ‘Hordeguard’ is a race against time. Players must gather resources and expand their Viking settlement while building defenses before increasingly powerful mythical villains overrun the village.
The core of the game lies in the strategic crossroads that arise just before an enemy raid. Players must decide whether to leave their safe settlement and venture out on a perilous exploration. While venturing out allows you to secure more abundant resources, it is a double-edged sword; the longer you delay, the faster the next wave of enemies presses in.
Players can also acquire various upgrade cards based on experience points gained in battle. Through this, players can specialize their characters and settlements to suit their play style, such as powerful warriors, skilled architects, or steadfast guardians.
Settlement construction combining action and tower defense
The core of the game is the combination of action elements involving direct combat and tower defense for defending settlements.
Players must explore the surroundings to gather resources, expand their settlement, and reinforce their fortress and defenses. As the threat grows with repeated enemy offensives, it is crucial to decide where to invest their limited resources.
Upgrade cards obtained through combat experience affect not only combat capabilities but also defensive systems and overall strategy. Depending on the situation, you can play in various ways, such as choosing an aggressive, combat-focused build or concentrating on settlement defense.
In addition to single-player mode, it also supports 2-player local co-op. In co-op mode, players divide roles with a friend to collect resources, build defenses, and defend a Viking settlement together.
Slovakian duo Black Deer Games collaborates with Dedaric
Black Deer Games is a small indie development studio based in Prešov, Slovakia.
It was founded in 2015 as a one-person studio by designer and programmer Peter Jurkovský, and later formed its current two-person team with the addition of veteran artist Dávid Jankeš, who has experience creating over 25 games.
In 2021, the development team released ‘Juro Jánošík’, an action-adventure game based on a legendary folk hero from Slovakia, on Steam. Currently, they are also developing a new action roguelite title, ‘Wendigo Hunter’, alongside ‘Hordeguard: Winds of the North’.
Overseas media also took notice immediately after the announcement.
Even though ‘Hordegard: Winds of the North’ has not yet been released, international gaming media outlets such as Niche Gamer, mxdwn, Gematsu, and GameSpace showed interest immediately after the game’s reveal, introducing the title along with trailers.
In particular, these media outlets cited the unique genre composition, which combines action combat, tower defense, and RPG growth elements into a single game, as a major point of interest.
The development team expressed their excitement through a Steam community announcement, stating that the partnership with Daedaric Entertainment is a significant step forward for the project.
In addition, at the Daedaric Entertainment showcase ‘Daedalic Days: Late at Night’ held on August 13, the development team personally showcased new gameplay and revealed additional information about the game.
‘Hordegard: Winds of the North’ is currently available for wishlisting on Steam, and the official release date will be announced later.
Information regarding ‘Hordeguard : Winds of the North ‘
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Black Deer Games (2-person development, Preshou, Slovakia) |
| Publisher | Daedalic Entertainment |
| Genre | Action Tower Defense, RPG, Strategy |
| platform | PC (Steam) |
| Release date | Undetermined (to be announced later) |
| Co-op Play | Local cooperative (2 people) support |
| Reactions/Evaluations | No Steam user reviews as it is pre-release. |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
