Cruzado

Cruzado is a hand-painted action roguelite about one crusader's march from Antioch to Jerusalem.

By day, hold the line against the horde with your crossbow, a steady aim and a life-saving dash. By night, make camp and decide how to spend the few hours before dawn: tend your wounds, forge new gear, draw a card of fate, win a heart... or roll the die and pray nobody finds your fire.

Your wounds never heal on their own. Every choice at camp has a price.

Three acts. Thirty days. One road.

March from the green hills of the Syrian coast, across the scorched inland desert, to the very walls of Jerusalem. Every act brings new lands, new enemies and a boss waiting at the end of the road, and every step closer to the Holy City is harder than the last.

Painted cutscenes tell the story like pages of an old chronicle, and a grizzled narrator follows your march, cheering your best shots and warning you when death comes close.

Move freely, aim by hand and dash through danger. Strong attacks are telegraphed: read them and dash at the right moment, because simply walking away won't save you.

A new foe every day. 26 enemy types join the fight one battle at a time: lancers and shield bearers, knife throwers and desert hounds, Greek fire throwers, a wandering flute player who charms snakes, laughing hyenas, spitting camels, burrowing scorpions, battering-ram crews, a pigeon keeper who calls for reinforcements... and some very angry geese.

Elite champions storm the battlefield on the 5th, 15th and 25th day.

The sun sinks as the battle drags on. Hold out until the owl calls the end of the day.

Every act ends with a boss, and fate decides which one is waiting for you. Nine bosses, three per act, each with its own tricks and a deadlier second phase:

Act I: the Iron Emir, the Sultan's Falconer and the Anchor of Tripoli.

Act II: the Mamluk Brothers, the Atabeg's Lion and the King of the Desert Raiders.

Act III: the Greek Fire Master, the Vizier and his Doubles, and the Lord of the Tower of David.

After every battle, choose one of three tarot cards. Its blessing stays with you for the rest of the run, and copies stack.

44 hand-painted cards across four rarities, from small boons to run-defining legends: the Fool shows you more cards, the Archangel saves you from a fatal blow, the Crown of Thorns makes every critical hit bleed. Defeat elites and bosses for a chance at the rarest ones.

Your action points are few. Sleep to recover, upgrade your gear, shop, brew or give a gift. You cannot do it all.

Sleeping heals you, but it costs time you could spend growing stronger. Every third night, a visitor comes to your fire:

The Blacksmith forges your scrap into upgrades for eight pieces of gear, from boots and crossbow to backpack and sleeping bag.

The Alchemist improves and refills your potions, all the way up to level 5.

The Merchant sells artifacts and potions. Search for new offers, or lock the ones you want until her next visit.

Camp alone and the night rolls a d20. Roll low and your camp is ambushed in the dark, where you can only hear them coming. A natural 1 leaves your fire in embers. A natural 20 grants a peaceful night and a deeper sleep.

Light is your greatest ally. Torches and lanterns push back the darkness, and any enemy careless enough to step into your campfire will regret it.

Combine 84 artifacts, 20 upgradable potions, 44 tarot cards and eight pieces of gear. Make your bolts bleed, burn, poison or freeze. Chain critical hits, bury the battlefield in bolts, or become a nearly unbreakable wall of armor and faith.

Your backpack is small and your artifact slots are limited. Choose what truly serves your build, and leave the rest behind.

Gold, gems and scrap are scarce. Spend too much today and you may not be ready for tomorrow. Save too much and there may be no tomorrow.

Death ends your run. What you learned stays with you.

There is more to life than war. Bring gifts, share the fire and slowly win the heart of the Blacksmith, the Alchemist or the Merchant.

A deeper bond unlocks new campfire scenes, discounts and bonuses tied to her craft. But every coin spent on a gift is a coin not spent on steel. Is tomorrow's advantage worth today's sacrifice?

Or stay a lone wolf. The road to Jerusalem is long either way.

Cruzado looks like an illuminated manuscript come to life. Every battle is fought on the pages of an open book, by candlelight, painted in gouache and ink.

Brutal battles and quiet nights by the fire, dark moments and plenty of humor. English voice-over, with subtitles in 13 languages.

Top-down action with free movement, manual aiming and a life-saving dash.

A day-and-night loop: survive the horde, then make the hard choices at camp.

A 3-act, 30-day campaign from Antioch to Jerusalem.

26 enemy types, 3 elite champions and 9 bosses chosen by fate.

44 tarot cards that reshape every run.

84 artifacts, 20 upgradable potions and 8 pieces of gear.

Bleed, burn, poison, freeze and critical-hit builds.

Night ambushes decided by a d20, where light means survival.

Limited action points and resources: you can never do everything.

Friendship and romance that unlock scenes, discounts and bonuses.

A hand-painted medieval chronicle with a narrator who talks to you.

Play the free demo now and add Cruzado to your wishlist.

Cruzado is our first game, made with a lot of love by a small independent studio. 10% of our revenue goes to charity.