Astralis: Dawnblades is a turn-based tactical RPG that blends stronghold management, dungeon exploration, and narrative choices.
As the leader of the Dawnblades, an independent mercenary company, you sell your services across the fractured regions of a broken world… until the official story itself starts to crack.

Between expeditions, you develop your stronghold, recruit new members, upgrade your gear, and improve your buildings. On missions, you explore dungeon maps node by node, manage your resources, and engage in demanding battles where every skill matters.

To top it all off, an optional combat system, MATB (Music Active Time Battle), synchronizes some of your actions with the orchestral soundtrack to add a rhythmic layer to your tactical decisions.

Become the Dawnblades

Play as a knight of the Dawnblades, a company that works for both common folk and the powerful.

Build multiple squads with complementary profiles and send them to defend villages, infiltrate fortresses, or discreetly handle political affairs.

Cross paths with key figures from the different regions of Astralis, each with their own stakes, secrets, and dilemmas.

A stronghold ↔ dungeon loop, driven by crafting

At headquarters, you manage:

• the barracks and the composition of your squads,

• equipment (weapons, armor, accessories) and its upgrades,

• key buildings (academy, crucible, guild bank, library, archives…) that you strengthen over the course of the campaign.

On the field, you explore node-based dungeon maps:

• each tile can be a battle, a puzzle, a narrative event, or a special encounter,

• your health and resources persist as long as the mission isn’t over,

• you constantly choose between pushing deeper or retreating to save your troops… and your loot.

Enemies leave behind components, rare materials, and pieces of equipment that you can:

• use as-is to gear up your Dawnblades,

• dismantle to recover materials,

• combine through a crafting system to forge weapons and armor tailored to your strategies (specialized items, versatile pieces, defense-oriented gear, control-focused builds, burst damage sets, etc.).

Tactical battles with or without active music

A turn-based combat system focused on skill management, cooldowns, and synergies between characters.

Optionally, you can enable MATB (Music Active Time Battle):

• a time gauge determines when each character can act,

• a musical gauge tied to the soundtrack highlights certain skills at specific moments,

• chaining actions to the right tempo boosts your team’s effectiveness.

Adapt your strategies to enemies with varied resistances and weaknesses, and build specialized or versatile groups depending on the mission.

A dark world inspired by Europe

An original world loosely inspired by various European countries and landscapes, transformed into a cohesive universe.

Regions with strong identities: industrial cities, snow-covered mountains, coastal lands, war-torn kingdoms…

A three-act narrative that questions loyalty, propaganda, memory, and the cost of political and military choices.

2D art direction & orchestral soundtrack

A hand-drawn 2D art direction, with a UI designed to stay clear despite the depth of the systems.

A fully orchestrated original soundtrack, composed specifically to enhance the atmosphere of each region and interact with the MATB system.

Readable visual effects (no aggressive flashes, no excessive particle spam) to keep the action understandable at all times.

Accessibility & business model

Planned accessibility options:

• improved readability (contrast, colorblind-friendly settings),

• the ability to reduce certain animations and effects,

• adjustable difficulty so more players can enjoy the game without sacrificing tactical depth.

On PC, Astralis: Dawnblades is a premium game:

• no lootboxes,

• no “pay to win” mechanics,

• any additional content clearly announced.

Who is it for?

Astralis: Dawnblades is aimed primarily at players who enjoy:

• demanding yet readable tactical RPGs,

• managing a base and multiple squads,

• original worlds that take time to develop their lore,

• turn-based combat where every choice can make the difference…

• and the idea of an optional, rhythm-based combat system tied to the music.