By ![Fangs & Forges [Game Showcase]](https://www.indiegamesdeveloper.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/fandf_Battle01.jpg)
Developed by Alpenwolf Studio, Fangs & Forges invites players into a sprawling tactical turn-based RPG where strategy meets rich storytelling, all set in the mystical land of Lyboria, a world steeped in myth, history, and wonder. The game hands the reins to the player, placing them at the helm of a growing squad in a high-fantasy setting teeming with strange creatures, powerful factions, and centuries-old mysteries waiting to be unearthed.
The journey is yours to shape. From bustling cities and ancient shrines to wind-swept steppes and fungal forests, Lyboria is a land of varied landscapes, each hand-crafted to stir curiosity and beckon exploration. Whether you chart a path through the shadowy woods of the lizard folk or march headlong into the frozen reaches of the northern mountains, every location offers not just a new vista, but new opportunities, and new threats.
A key pillar of the game lies in its deeply varied cast. With over 120 unique characters to recruit, players are spoilt for choice in assembling their perfect squad. Each character brings a distinctive blend of abilities, stats, and specialities, some swift and evasive, others towering and resilient, and still others masters of magic or long-range weaponry. Choosing who to bring, when to switch, and how to combine these abilities is the core of the game’s strategic depth. Teamwork and adaptability are not optional, they’re essential.
From hunting monsters to wiping out bandit hideouts, missions are as diverse as the world itself. Some will test your brute strength, others your tactical foresight. Rewards come in the form of loot, coin, reputation, and experience, all of which feed into your squad’s growing prowess. No two assignments feel the same, and each battleground presents new layouts and enemy types that push you to rethink your approach. Obstacles may block clear lines of attack, while some arenas open up into chaotic brawls where control and positioning are everything.
Combat is brisk and satisfying. Alpenwolf has intentionally designed encounters to avoid bloat, gone are the hour-long slogfests of traditional tactics games. Instead, the pace is snappy, the animations sharp, and the battles tightly scoped. It borrows the adrenaline of action RPGs but channels it into clever, turn-based clashes where every move counts and efficiency is rewarded.
Boss fights? Absolutely. Expect them. And they’re not just bigger enemies, they’re true tests of everything you’ve learned so far.
Beyond combat, the game stands out for its worldbuilding. Each race in Lyboria has its own visual and mechanical identity. Their cultures, philosophies, and physiologies aren’t just flavour, they actively influence gameplay. A heavy-hitting turtle and nimble canine/furfolk scout won’t just feel different to look at, they’ll require entirely different tactics to use effectively. And it goes deeper still. Fierce abilities, powerful, character-specific skills, bring an added layer to battles. Poison your enemies, blink across the battlefield, or combine elemental powers to devastating effect. Freeze and shatter, shock and burn, it’s all possible with the right setup.
The world of Lyboria itself pulses with life and legend. It’s a place of vibrant biomes and hidden secrets, of serene temples and treacherous wildlands. Wildlife can be curious, dangerous, or even tame. Ancient artefacts and crumbling ruins hint at a history far older than the kingdoms that currently rise and fall across the land. At the centre of it all lies the enigma known as the Eye of God, or the Broken Sphere, or the Skyboulder, depending on who you ask. Since time immemorial, it’s hung in the heavens, silently watching. Tales of its purpose abound, some say it purged a dead world of shadow, birthing life through its celestial light. Others insist the truth is more complex, more disturbing, and those theories might not be so far from the mark.
Fangs & Forges is set to arrive in early access, delivering a substantial slice of the PvE campaign from day one. Players will be free to explore the world, recruit allies, engage in tactical combat, and gather loot as they carve their path through Lyboria. The full release promises to expand on this foundation, unveiling the complete campaign alongside a horde mode, where players will face wave after wave of enemies in a test of endurance, strategy, and score-chasing skill. If the launch proves successful, Alpenwolf Studio has bold plans for what lies beyond, including online PvP, rich DLC content featuring new battlegrounds, races, characters, loot, and entire regions yet to be revealed.
