Colby Young of IronOak Games has posted a short-ish article in which he attempts to explain what For The King — the project that grew out of his attempt to make a Unity version of his board game adaptation of Ultima 7: The Black Gate — is.

About the easiest way to think of it is that it’s still very true to its board game roots, in many respects:

If I were to describe the experience I would say it’s a strategic, team based adventure which leads the players through hilarious misfortune to triumphant victory. It plays like a boardgame with underlying pen and paper mechanics but it is punishing like a rogue-like. It keeps you in a calculating mindset like a strategy game would but it takes you on an epic adventure like any good role-playing game. It’s designed to be a re-playable puzzle that you piece together over multiple playthroughs, either on your own or with friends. You win together and you die together.

It is an open, procedural world, every time you visit Fahrul it’s not the same as it was before. Traveling the world is done by rolling actions points and carefully spending them across the hex based world. Players can travel by land, or purchase a boat and take their chances at sea.

Combat and exploration will both play a role in For The King:

Players and enemies alike take turns attacking, and planning strategic strikes against each other. Combat is fast and furious, one slip up or even some bad luck can mean death. Watching a party member get impaled by a Beastman’s spear is both funny and horrifying when you are repeatedly failing your own flee attempts. For The King takes no prisoners so buckle up and be prepared to get beaten down.

The overworld is filled with much to explore, strange towns, a gladiator arena that will test your might, an old blacksmith who crafts mystical weapons, or perhaps a traveling carnival with supernatural origins. Each realm is vastly different and home to it’s own assortment of oddities that will keep you guessing.

And, of course, there will be dungeons. The world will also be populated by an array of deities:

Fahrul features a wide array of Sanctums, each home to different gods. Players can devote themselves to these gods and get boosts in combat, or protection from ailments. The gods are not alone though, for every holy deity looking to aid the players, a powerful scourge lurks in Fahrul. Once a scourge is active in Fahrul it has devastating global effects on different game mechanics. One scourge increases the passage of time while the Bandit King raises shop prices across the land.

The guiding principle of For The King, however, seems to be randomness. For The King relies heavily on procedural generation and random events, and aims to present players with an ever-changing game world and gameplay experience. Which, again, is very much like a board game in many respects.