Frequently asked questions

Which characters will I be able to play?

The game’s hero is a human character. You can choose how his character class, which describes how he copes with life’s challenges on a basic level – does he mainly rely on his muscles, his nible skills, or his brainpower? Based on the character class, different professions can later be taken, each coming with unique quests and titles that can be acquired.

How do I win the game? How do I lose it?

You win once your character makes it through all ten chapters (20 game years) alive. Each chapter has a main and side quests, but it is not mandatory to solve any of them. Solving quests will make your character gain skills though, so skipping or failing too many of them will make it harder to survive later on when the challenges get tougher.

Dying is the only way of losing the game. Knights of Frontier Valley is difficult, and surviving to the end is a true accomplishment. Death is permanent.

How does the combat system look like?

While you explore the world, time continuously progresses. This somewhat changes when combat starts. Comabt is tactical and turn-based, but by default, turns are timed. “Action points”, which are needed to do things like attacking, moving around, or using an item, gradually expire over time. The longer you wait, the fewer actions you will be able to perform. This feature can be disabled if you prefer a more classic, truly turn-based approach without any time constraints, but this will reduce the final score.

The success of an attack is based on a large number of factors, some of which are not directly visible to the player. Even an experienced warrior will miss sometimes when he is tired, injured, encumbered, or moving around in a dark dungeon with a full helmet on that further restricts the view.

Pieces of armor protect specific parts of the body, and smart opponents will search for weak spots. Shields do not help against strikes from all sides, and a surprise attack has a much higher chance of success.

Characters do not have Hit Points (HP) like in games where characters are seemingly fine even with just one HP left, but suddenly die once they lose that last point. Instead, injuries reduce the affected body part’s function – injuries to the leg slow you down, a broken arm will not swing a sword well, and hard hits to the head or chest can be instantly fatal, if that body part is unprotected.

Injuries come as tissue damage and bone damage, each with their own disadvantages and ways of treatment. Most wounds take time to heal – consuming a red colored potion usually won’t do the trick.

When does my character level up, and how do skills grow?

At the beginning of each chapter your character will have lived through two more years, meaning he personally will have grown by practicing his skills and from what he might have learned from others during that time. This is reflected in attribute and skill points that can be freely distributed. The more quests the character has fulfilled during the previous chapter, the more people he has talked to and learned from, and the more places he has explored, the more skill points he will be able to distribute. Although there are no experience points (XP), it might feel somewhat similar.

Leveling up is based on the number of current attribute and skills values. The character doesn’t get skill points because he reaches a new level; instead, he is considered on a higher level because he has reached a point where his acquired skills separate him from his peers.
It’s like this: you don’t get better at your job because you got promoted… you get promoted because you got better.

Skills can also grow automatically at any point in the game by using them sufficiently and successfully.

Can I do crafting?

Yes, of course!

Every item in the game has a long list of properties including material, weight and volume, flammability, value, maintenance condition, etc. This allows for several crafting approaches including repairing of your equipment, creating and combining objects, but also more exotic “crafting” uses like breaking down a mineshaft support beam to make the tunnel collapse!

How does the magic system work?

Magic is very rare and greatly feared. Even those who have just mastered simple tricks, like the heating up of solid matter, are being looked at suspiciously… after all, what reason could someone practicing this art have, other than gaining an unfair advantage over others? An exception is the healing magic taught and practiced in the Temple of Simiae.

In general, magic is an amplifier for natural processes. Magic doesn’t create or alter anything – it just makes things that normally happen anyways happen faster or stronger. Healing magic, for example, speeds up the body’s self-healing processes… and it can fail. To describe it in modern terminology: when a magician practices the power of heating up matter, he is simply transforming his own mental energy into kinetic energy, speeding up the molecules of the object he is focusing on. Although in a fantasy world, he would not know that… just like people in medieval times could observe the sun and use it to their advantage, without being able to understand what powers it.

The various paths of magic are each considered as a way to achieve a certain kind of enlightenment. Some paths overlap, offering similar magic as others. Ultimately, it is always that one, specific power that every scholar of the arcane is trying to master – other, lower powers are just stepping stones on the way, merely meant for practicing.

There are no spell books or mana points. Practicing magic is an exhausting exercise for the mind and requires the full concentration of the caster for a period of time. Performing magic wears the caster out in the form of a high stamina cost.

Is this a multiplayer game?

The game will be released as a single-player game first; online features, such as a global high-score list and in-game chat, are planned for a time soon after the initial wide release.
There are ideas to take the concept to a multiplayer world, both co-op and PvP. Whether the game has a multiplayer future depends on demand for it.

Release date?

Release of an early access version is planned for the end of 2023.

The early access version will mostly be a sandbox game, with mechanics similar to the final version, but without the full story and content. And of course, there will be bugs 🙂

The final version is planned for about a year later.

How much will the game cost?

It is too early to set a price.

Will there be DLC?

Yes! Our mission is to create something that will be remembered and enjoyed for many years to come. To keep the game interesting for seasoned players, new content will be added on a regular basis, and some of it will be free.

Can I become a Beta tester?

Yes, we would love to get your feedback! When the time comes, we will post the details of our Early Access program on our website, social media and sales channels such as Steam.

Which platforms will the game be for?

Knights of Frontier Valley will initially be available for Windows, followed by a release for Mac. Other platforms, including mobile, might come later based on demand.

Where will I be able to get the game?

We’re planning to release the game on all major platforms for digital distribution.

Will there be a modding workshop?

Modding capabilities are planned but will not be part of the initial release. We are fully focused on getting a playable version ready so we can all start playing the game. That said, the game is designed in a way that it won’t be much effort to add modding. If there’s sufficient demand for this feature, it will be done.

How can I support the development of the game?

Please spread the word and wishlist the game on Steam>> and GOG>>
Provide feedback about planned features and tell us what you would like to see added.
And of course, becoming a Patron>> is a big help too.

What are the system requirements?

OS: Windows Windows 11/10/8/7, MacOS 10.10+
CPU: 2 GHz
Graphics: 4 GB video memory, OpenGL2, min. resolution of 1920×1080 recommended
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Hard Disk space: 4 GB
Other: 3-button mouse, keyboard, speakers, Internet connection for online features

As the game isn’t finished yet, the final system requirements might slightly differ.
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