- Debuting after 8 years of development… A roguelike action game by a two-person team of former AAA developers
- Collect demon swords to fight against heavenly evil… Pre-release wishlist surpasses 30,000
Temple Door Games, a two-person indie development team from Los Angeles, USA, released the roguelike action RPG ‘Swordcery’ on Steam Early Access on the 11th.
“Swordsherry,” billed as a hard-slash roguelike action RPG, is based on a global catastrophe triggered by a giant sword plunging down. Players embark on a journey to save a world on the brink of destruction by collecting the cursed swords raining down from the sky one by one.
The game focuses on replayability, with each sword featuring unique magical abilities and combat styles that allow for new combinations and strategies to be attempted every time, and the added fun of exploring procedurally generated dungeons.
The colorful and vibrant 3D top-down visuals and the cheerful humor interwoven throughout also stand out. It is particularly noteworthy that the development team consists of cinematic animators from the 2018 Game of the Year (GOTY) winner, ‘God of War’.
Released as an early access title after approximately eight years of development, ‘Swordsery’ raised expectations for success by surpassing 30,000 pre-wishlist entries.
Swords raining down from the sky, Colt who became a hero by accident
The story begins with a giant sword suddenly plunging into the world of ‘Armorial’. Subsequently, countless small swords begin to rain down from the sky, and these swords of disaster slowly drain the life force of Armorial, making the rain of swords even more intense as time passes.
The player takes on the role of Colt , the protagonist who gains the power to wield swords that fell by chance, and fights against the celestial evil that seeks to destroy the kingdom.
Procedurally generated dungeons, a sword collection that changes every time
Combat in ‘Swordsherry’ unfolds by combining close-quarters action requiring fast reaction times with the unique magical abilities endowed to each sword.
Each newly discovered sword possesses unique abilities. They can be utilized in combat in various ways, such as throwing the sword like a boomerang, striking with lightning, trapping enemies in a box, or even summoning ice like a refrigerator.
Each sword is classified as a ‘Sword Class,’ possessing a unique attack pattern. Players must select and combine classes according to the terrain and battlefield situation.
It is characterized by the appearance of new swords, artifacts, class upgrades, and random dungeons (procedurally generated) in every match, adding to the fun of replayability.
A colorful world created by a God of War cinematic artist
‘Swordsery’ combines hard-slash action and comedy elements based on colorful and vibrant 3D top-down visuals.
In particular, the development team created the game based on their experience as cinematic animators on ‘God of War’. However, unlike the heavy and dark atmosphere shown in Santa Monica Studio’s ‘God of War’, this title is characterized by a much brighter and more cheerful color palette and mood.
It is noteworthy that the game’s quality has been enhanced by building upon the high-level animation production skills accumulated through the development of the global hit ‘God of War’, while actively reflecting the free-spirited and cheerful identity unique to indie games.
The challenge of a two-person indie team born after 8 years of development
Temple Door Games is a two-person indie development team based in Los Angeles, USA, founded in 2019. Mike Henriet and Don Thurakichprempri teamed up while working together on ‘God of War’ at Sony Santa Monica Studio, driven by their shared interests in animation, games, and burritos.
The two were two of the six cinematic animators for ‘God of War,’ which was named ‘Game of the Year’ in 2018, and they have been developing ‘Swordsery’ based on their experience in producing AAA titles.
The developers announced that they are unveiling the game for the first time through this Early Access release after approximately eight years of development. As it was completed with great care over a long period by two developers with experience at major studios, the development process of the small team itself is another highlight of the game.
Surpasses 30,000 Wishlist Items Pre-Launch… Overseas Media Also Attract Attention
‘Swordsery’ has garnered attention since its Early Access release date was first announced last month, being featured in numerous international media outlets including RPGamer, GameGrin, Capsule Computers, GamesBeat, and DayOne.
In particular, the fact that it is a title presented by the development team behind ‘God of War’ and that it is a sword-collecting roguelike action RPG with a light and cheerful atmosphere, unlike previous works, were cited as major points of interest.
The developer also announced on official social media that the wishlist had surpassed 30,000 items five days before the early access release.
A free demo of the game is available prior to launch, allowing players to check the basic gameplay and atmosphere in advance, and details regarding the official release roadmap following the initial content will be revealed later.
The new title ‘Swordsward’ has moved away from the heavy and dark atmosphere of its predecessor, ‘God of War’. Instead, it seeks a differentiated fun by emphasizing a flashy and diverse weapon system and exhilarating action.
With the game finally released to the world in Early Access after a long development period of eight years, attention is focused on whether it can translate the anticipation, which surpassed 30,000 wishlist items just before launch, into actual success.
Information regarding ‘Swordcery’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Temple Door Games (Los Angeles, USA, Mike Henrié and Don Turakicci-Prempri, a two-person team) |
| Publisher | Temple Door Games (Self-publishing) |
| Genre | Action / Indie / RPG (Early Access, Hard Slash Roguelike) |
| Release platform | PC (Steam) |
| Early Access Release Date | August 11, 2026 |
| Development period | About 8 years |
| Wishlist | Surpassed 30,000 units just before launch |
| User ratings | Official reviews not yet tallied immediately after Early Access release (Free demo provided separately) |
| Key Experience | Both members of the development team are former cinematic animators from God of War, the 2018 ‘Game of the Year’. |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
