ZULMARASH: Echoes of Zaltar

Feature List

- A living village: children, cats, a choir at vespers

- Fishing, cooking, chess puzzles

- Big quests and small stories: 52 quests, 5 acts

- Turn-based, tile-by-tile tactical combat

- Fire spreads through the grass

- Day, night and weather that matter

- Randomized loot, five rarities, 26 unique items

- Your gear shows on your hero (12 slots)

- A star-shaped skill tree: 5 attributes, 28 skills

- Generated dungeons, never the same

- Traps, secrets, hidden passages

- A whole world below

- Your choices decide who fights beside you: 10 factions

- Several endings: 5 endings and a free life

- Crafting: 7 artisans, 45 recipes, 6 gems

- 10 animal species, animal companions

- 4 difficulty levels including permadeath

- Gamepad, full rebinding, color-blind palettes

- English and French, interface and full text

- Player's manual and map of Aeldoria included

About the Game

The Last Lesson

You are eleven. That night, at the Academy of the Grey Star, your master Zaltar teaches you to call a flame. Then the light turns green and three portals tear open.

Zaltar cannot win. So he breaks time.

You wake up grown, in a field, with no gold and no memories anyone shares. The world went on without you. A village takes you in anyway. Avenge your master. Or simply live.

Take Your Time

Nobody holds your hand. The early hours ask you to explore everything : the houses, the graves, the corners of every dungeon. Then come back and talk to people . They remember what you did, what you said, what you brought back. A line changes, a door opens, a quest begins.

A Living Village

The children of Valbrune play on the square. The cats nap in the sun. You can talk to everyone, and everyone has something to say. At vespers, if you have won over the seven children, the choir sings for Saint Clair.

Fishing, cooking, chess : Rayan teaches you to fish, Lylia cooks your catch, Blaise and Rayan set you chess puzzles.

Big quests and small stories : 52 written quests, a main story in five acts and many tales on the side. The stilt house on Loket Strand keeps a lovely one.

Ten animal species to watch, pet and feed. Some end up following you from place to place. Yes, you can pet the dog.

Tile-by-Tile Tactical Combat

Everyone acts in turn on a grid. Take position, step back, lure an elite wolf into the blaze. Every step counts.

Fire spreads through the grass . Ice makes you slip, poison lingers.

Day, night and weather that matter : rain slackens bowstrings and weakens fire, fog hides everything three steps away, snow slows the beasts, storms strike.

Elite monsters with stacking traits: fast, fiery, summoners, regenerating, armored, vampiric.

Randomized Loot, Five Rarities

Common, improved, rare, epic. Every item is rolled at random, with its own properties and effects, and compares itself with what you wear. Then there are the 26 unique items , each with its own story.

Your gear shows on your hero : twelve slots, head to boots. Helmet, cloak, armor, leggings, boots, weapon and shield change the way you look.

Six kinds of weapons : sword, axe, dagger, staff, bow and greatsword.

Crafting with seven artisans: smithing, alchemy, jewelcraft, enchanting and cooking, 45 recipes. Six gems in three tiers to socket.

A Star-Shaped Skill Tree

Before Saint Clair: five attributes (Strength, Intelligence, Dexterity, Instinct, Vitality) and 28 skills on five branches. Every point is previewed before you commit it.

Generated Dungeons, Never the Same

Traps, secrets, hidden passages . Watch your step.

A whole world below : mines, a city under the stone and much deeper still.

Fog of war and a map that draws itself as you explore. A bestiary of 62 creatures and a codex of 104 entries, written for the game.

Your Choices Decide Who Fights Beside You

Ten factions remember what you did. Their prices, their doors and their dialogue change with your reputation. Many regions can also be settled without violence: talk a guardian down, give back a name, make a mask fall.

Several endings : five endings and a free life, each with its own epilogue. You can also ignore the main story and settle down in Valbrune.

Your Way

Character creation : hairstyle, colors, skin tone, outfit and name. Every line of text adapts to the pronouns you choose.

Four difficulty levels , including permadeath : one life. Death erases the save.

Accessibility : fully rebindable keyboard and gamepad, color-blind palettes, UI scale, reduced flashes, "Reduce violence" option.

Handmade

Plays offline, no account. Your games are saved on steam cloud at save altars, in three slots. No data is sent without your consent.

Included with the game: an illustrated player's manual and the map of Aeldoria , to read on screen or print.

Languages: English and French , interface and full text (no voice-over). Switch language at any time in the options.