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Towerborne marks a major change in direction for the team behind The Banner Saga. Rather than turn-based tactical battles and a story-led structure, this fantasy action game centers on real-time brawling, character progression, loot, and cooperative play. Its developers describe a bright, hopeful setting where combat depth and ongoing community feedback are central to the experience.
How Towerborne builds on The Banner Saga
The Banner Saga used tactical combat to support a serious, story-focused adventure inspired by Norse mythology. Towerborne takes a different approach: its combat systems are the main attraction, while its world and lore provide context for the action. Players can develop their fighting skills, experiment with different tactics, and use a flexible RPG progression system alongside a broad range of loot.
Stoic CTO and co-founder John Watson says the team’s earlier work also shaped its interest in building a game alongside its community. The studio previously released Banner Saga Factions, a free online version focused on multiplayer combat. That project gave the team an opportunity to adjust and refine combat with player feedback. Watson says Towerborne carries that collaborative approach forward on a larger scale.
Practical takeaway: Players who prefer action and build experimentation over turn-based planning may find Towerborne’s combat-focused design a more natural fit.
Towerborne’s art direction and world
Chief Creative Officer and Stoic co-founder Arnie Jorgensen says the early art concept drew inspiration from the feeling of an animated film. The team initially considered making the game entirely in 2D, as it had done with The Banner Saga, but later moved to 3D to better support the gameplay. Artists, including Lead Concept Artist Jeff Murchie and Art Director Pedro Toledo, helped the project develop a visual identity of its own.
The setting is built around the Belfry, a refuge for humanity after its cities were destroyed by a mysterious enemy. Game Director Daniel McLaren describes the story as taking place after the immediate collapse: its focus is on rebuilding humanity and reclaiming the world, rather than simply surviving an apocalypse.
In the game’s lore, people have a connection to the Ebb, or the other side. Certain humans can interact with it through Umbra, friendly creatures that help them survive in a dangerous world. After an unknown evil force destroys the technology protecting humanity, the barrier between the real world and the Ebb is damaged. Umbra then bond with particular humans after their deaths and return them with new powers. These characters are known as Aces, and players take the role of one as they investigate what happened.
Combat with room to experiment
Lead Live Designer Isaac Torres says the combat is intended to be easy to approach while still offering depth. Players can combine attacks in different ways and learn advanced techniques such as dodge cancels, jump cancels, special-move cancels, and combo resets. Umbra provide another combat option, functioning somewhat like assist characters in tag fighting games.
Class Skills add further ways to adjust a character’s moves and core class mechanics. The system is designed to reward experimentation, while also offering options for players who prefer a simpler, button-mashing style.
- Try different attack combinations to discover which sequences suit your playstyle.
- Use movement and special-move cancels to add flexibility to combos.
- Experiment with Umbra and Class Skills to broaden your approach to encounters.
Curios, cosmetics, and progression
McLaren says Curios are designed to offer cosmetic rewards rather than gameplay advantages. Their contents include cosmetics, expression stickers, and emotes; they do not include stronger weapons, boosters, or in-game currency. The stated aim is to let players who skip a Curio continue playing without being disadvantaged in combat.
Curios are structured in tiers, with later tiers becoming available after players purchase a couple of items from an earlier tier. Players can select the rewards they want instead of having to complete a fixed, time-limited sequence of rewards. In-game activities can also award writs, the currency used for Curio progression, and the team says those activities are intended to offer achievable goals rather than unwanted checklist challenges.
The developers also say they are working on ways for Curio items or Curios themselves to return. They have not specified when that might happen, but their stated goal is to give future players a chance to obtain items that were available earlier, while preserving a period of exclusivity for players who acquired them at release.
Practical takeaway: Check whether a Curio contains cosmetics you actually want before spending on it. The developers’ stated design is that these rewards do not affect gameplay power.
Early Access and platform availability
CEO and President Trisha Stouffer says Towerborne will remain in Early Access or Game Preview throughout the summer. The game is available on Steam, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X|S, and is playable on handheld devices and through Xbox Play Anywhere. The team says player reactions and its ability to respond to feedback will help determine when the game reaches version 1.0. The game is free-to-play.
The release information also described an Xbox Game Preview launch through Game Pass on April 29, while the PC Early Access version continued to evolve. Because Early Access schedules and platform availability can change, check the current store listing before planning to play.
What makes Towerborne distinct?
Towerborne keeps the developers’ interest in community involvement but moves away from The Banner Saga’s tactical, narrative-led format. Its defining features are real-time brawler combat, flexible character development, cosmetic-focused Curios, and a fantasy story centered on hope and restoration. For players considering the game, the key question is whether its mix of action, experimentation, and ongoing development matches what they enjoy.
