I, like many people, have spent hours and hours swimming in Baldur’s Gate 3, but never even set foot in the titular citadel. Faerun is a living, breathing world where the smallest decisions have butterfly effect-style ripples, completely changing storylines and blocking others we didn’t even know existed. Blending that limitlessness with the vibrant, magical feel of Fable, the new role-playing game peasant wants to reinvent the fantasy genre all over again – and just raised over $100,000 on Kickstarter to do it.
The brainchild of Finland-based developer Harakka Studio, Peasant is “the other side of the RPG genre.” You are not the hero, but some preordained mighty warrior on a quest to defeat evil and restore world peace. Instead, you’re a lowly villager who’s tired of adventurers kicking over tavern tables and starting fights. Basically, if you’ve ever wondered how NPCs feel in your Dungeons and Dragons games, you’re about to experience it firsthand.
But how you do it is entirely up to you. You’ll be able to cycle through a range of different classes, 12 paths on a ‘tech tree’ including things like Steampunk, Draconic, Mimicry and more, all of which grant their own unique skills. Be careful with the path you choose, however, as some choices will block other options.
Harraka’s example is the Steampunk path, which requires you to use multiple natural resources, which in turn cut you off the druid tree. If you commit to the Steampunk path, your items and armor will transform in tandem with it, becoming more industrial. In Selyanin, it’s all about the consequences.
and i mean all about the consequences. There is no “railroad”, according to Haraka, you are simply released to cause mayhem. If, for example, you kill the only dragon hunter, more dragons will appear. If you kick a chicken, the chickens won’t like you and may start a bird riot – every choice matters, and while the possibilities seemed endless in Baldur’s Gate 3, they feel even wider in Peasant.
Your choices also affect the people around you. Peasant has a fully functioning romance system, companion mechanics, and its own unique factions, all of which will react differently depending on your decisions. But if you make a mistake, you can’t take it back, even if you save scum like I did after Astarion dumped me. The world around you will remember and you may just suffer for it.
There’s a main building, riders, and adorable creatures waiting for you to pet – all of which combine to hopefully make Peasant one of the most lifelike worlds we’ve ever seen. As I write, I’m discovering new things, getting more and more invested in what looks to be one of the most ambitious PC games to come.
And I’m not alone: Peasant smashed its Kickstarter funding goal in less than 21 hours, raising $117,803 / £91,662 (converted via Google) – and growing as I write. If you want to contribute and check out this huge list of features, the link you’re looking for is right here.
According to the Kickstarter page, Peasant’s early access date is set six months from the fund close date, which is Friday, August 2nd. It’s officially marked on my calendar and I can’t wait.
In the meantime, though, we’ve got a roundup of all the best fantasy games if you’re looking for something magical before the release date of Fable 4. Or, if you’re still looking for a Dungeons and Dragons-style fix, we’ve got a list of all the best games like Baldur’s Gate 3 .
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