- An 18th-century alternate history depicted with a branching narrative of approximately 300,000 words and nine skills
- The Kingdom of Rulsten, intertwined with battle and necromancy… brought to life through 3D books and hand-drawn miniatures
Indie game studio Psychic Software has unveiled its new Gothic RPG , ‘The Lich Wars,’ and released its first trailer video along with the Steam store page.
‘The Rich Wars’ is characterized by its unique branching interactive fiction structure combined with an RPG skill system and narrative-driven strategic combat. In particular, this new title is attracting the attention of existing fans as it was created as a prequel to the critically acclaimed CRPG ‘The Necromancer’s Tale’.
The game is set in a fictional kingdom located near Venice in the 18th century. Players serve as musketeers there and become swept up in a massive vortex of fate during a turbulent military career spanning approximately 30 years. The core elements of fun are expected to be the choice-driven progression and in-depth story unfolding within a dark Gothic world.
The story of what happened after the war where the dead were raised to win.
The game is set in Rulsthen, an alternate history kingdom located near Venice. The player starts as a new recruit enlisting in Rulsthen’s Rychva Musketeers.
After getting caught up in a war to win by resurrecting the dead, you face the process of fear and superstition spreading, a civil war breaking out, and the awakening of the Lich.
The story covers the period of military service spanning from the Wars of Venice (1701–1708) to the Civil War (1727–1728). The progression varies depending on the player’s choices, and there are three main career paths.
300,000-word narrative, nine skills, and combat unfolded in words
The story of ‘The Rich Wars’ unfolds as a branching narrative spanning approximately 300,000 words. Nine RPG skills encompassing physical, social, and intellectual abilities are utilized for selection and judgment.
Combat is structured in a way inspired by TRPGs. It unfolds duels and small skirmishes based on handwritten narratives and random critical hit tables, while also incorporating naval battles and large-scale battlefield maneuvers into the same narrative flow.
‘Unbelievable memories,’ in which the protagonist Aleks and three longtime friends recall the same event differently, and sometimes dishonestly, is also a central theme of the story.
A Gothic world unfolded through 3D books and hand-drawn miniatures
The game’s branching narrative unfolds within a 3D-rendered book. Key scenes are displayed on a table next to the book using hand-drawn miniatures. Hundreds of original illustrations, character portraits, and maps are also provided alongside the text.
Voice acting is included for some key characters and narration scenes. Based on the released information, the direction is characterized by text and illustrations, and it is known to feature a Gothic atmosphere intertwined with war, black magic, and superstition.
Psychic Software and ‘The Necromancer’s Tale’
Psychic Games Ltd. is a studio that has been making games since the 1980s. It has released titles in various genres, including car combat MMOs and casual mobile puzzle games, as well as arcade adventures, platformers, online racing, and CRPGs.
The predecessor, ‘The Necromancer’s Tale’, was released on Steam in July 2025 and expanded to Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox, and GOG in June 2026. ‘The Rich Wars’ is being developed with co-support from the European Union Creative Media Programme.
Sam Redfern, Lead Developer and Narrative Lead leading the development, stated that while the period from 1700 to 1728 was covered in a short prologue in the previous game, players remained curious about the story of that era.
Redfern introduced ‘The Rich Words’ as a Gothic story dealing with a society haunted by the past. It is described as a work that raises questions about progress, responsibility, and the ethics of war, noting that while necromancy is effective, no one fully understands the cost.
Evaluation of the previous work and reactions to the new work
It has been reported that for the previous game, ‘The Necromancer’s Tale’, 91% of the 877 Steam reviews were positive during the approximately one year after its release.
Reviews from external media were mixed. One British outlet cited the dialogue-driven story as a strength but noted a lack of immersion. Another outlet praised the writing and characters but pointed out that the combat was simple and clunky.
As ‘The Reach Wars’ is also a narrative-driven work, the weight and quality of the combat are expected to be the main criteria for evaluation in the prequel as well.
‘The Reach Wars’ is a Gothic RPG that combines a military career spanning approximately 30 years, a narrative that changes based on choices, and combat told through text. It plans to expand on the time period briefly covered in the previous game to depict the war and civil war of Rulsten and the origins of necromancy. While the Steam page and first video have been revealed, the release date has not yet been announced.
Information regarding ‘The Lich Wars’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Game name | The Lich Wars |
| Developer | Psychic Software |
| Publisher | Unconfirmed |
| Genre | Gothic Interactive Fiction RPG |
| platform | PC (Steam) |
| Release date | Undecided |
| Supported languages | Unconfirmed (Korean support status unconfirmed) |
| characteristic | 300,000-word narrative, nine skills, narrative-based combat, partial voice acting, standalone from the prequel |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
| Official Website | Shortcut |
