Dead March: Dark Lord Rising

Overview

A strategy roguelite with real-time tactical battles. Your goal is to destroy the capital of the human kingdom. You begin with only a handful of minions—just enough to raid villages. Gather resources and increase your Dark Power by razing settlements. Build a formidable army, learn new abilities, and prepare for the final assault.

Every battle matters. You have only one chance to conquer each settlement. If you fail, it will be granted divine protection and become forever beyond your reach.

Army

There are three ways to expand your army. You can use bones to create minions and skeletal warriors. By spending your Dark Power, you can recruit creatures from Hell. You can also summon wild beasts to serve you. Your units grow stronger by gaining experience in battle, so it is wise to keep them alive.

Battles

Battles are fought in real time. At the start of the game, you can issue only a single general attack order. By spending your Dark Power, you can unlock new command abilities, giving you greater control over your army. Later on, you will be able to organize your forces into multiple hordes, allowing them to fight with greater coordination and efficiency. Satan will judge your performance as a commander, and your rewards will reflect the effectiveness of your leadership.

Map

You begin your campaign at the edge of the map, and your ultimate goal is to reach the capital at the heart of the kingdom. There are many possible routes to your destination, but if an attack on a settlement is repelled, the road through it will be permanently blocked. Along the way, you will encounter camps, villages, towns, forts, and monasteries. Each type of settlement is defended by different kinds of troops and yields different loot when razed.

Resources

The game features three resources: Dark Power, Bones, and Iron. You gain Dark Power by destroying settlements and killing enemies. Spend it to unlock new abilities, learn powerful spells, and upgrade your forces. Bones collected from the dead can be used to create minions and skeletal warriors. Iron is acquired by plundering settlements and salvaging the weapons and armor of fallen soldiers. Use it to forge stronger arms and armor for your army.

Abilities

The game features dozens of abilities to unlock. These include battlefield commands, powerful combat spells, creature summoning, and permanent unit upgrades. Spend your Dark Power to unlock them and gain access to new powers.