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"Rimworld" was yesterday? This is how "Ascent of Ashes" fares
by Kim Muntinga
"Super Fantasy Kingdom": a solo project with amazing game depth
5.11.2025
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Kim Muntinga
A kingdom built by one hand: "Super Fantasy Kingdom" comes from Hanover-based developer Feryaz Beer. His roguelite city builder combines construction, tactics and survival. Calm, precise and surprisingly challenging.
Sometimes you don't need a studio, a team or a publishing machine. Sometimes a clear idea is enough. «Super Fantasy Kingdom» comes from a solo developer from Hanover and impressively demonstrates how much excitement can be packed into a minimalist concept.
The man behind the game is Feryaz Beer, who works under the label Super Fantasy Games and does everything himself: from programming to pixel design. He receives support from indie publisher Hooded Horse, which is known for its strategy-based titles such as «Against the Storm» or «Manor Lords». Currently, «Super Fantasy Kingdom» is in Early Access on Steam. In terms of genre, it is categorised as a roguelite city builder: a mixture of construction and survival.
During the day, I build houses, secure resources and plan the next expansion. But the game never stays peaceful for long: monsters attack in waves, become more aggressive and dangerous at night and force my kingdom into constant defence mode. If my hero dies and the defence collapses, everything starts all over again: with new insights and small advances.
This cycle of build-up, loss and repetition is at the heart of «Super Fantasy Kingdom». It rewards patience, curiosity and planning and shows how much depth there is in a game that focuses on a few, but cleverly interlocking systems.
First impressions from the kingdom
My first run begins quietly. I place a tavern, set up a wood store, build the first house. Routine for anyone who has played a city builder before. The processes are familiar, the pace leisurely. But while I'm still looking at my little settlement with satisfaction, the first disaster announces itself.
The first monsters attack at midday. Nothing dramatic. However, my hero is alone on the battlefield. As night falls, the attacks become more violent. The monsters go into a rage, becoming faster, more aggressive and more dangerous. My hero holds out. Somehow he survives the night and peace briefly returns at dawn.
On the second day, a visitor appears and offers me a new unit. I choose archers. Support at last. This immediately changes the dynamic. Suddenly the game feels less like survival and more like strategy. I start to plan defences, manage resources more effectively and be prepared for the next attack.
Despite this, the pressure remains constant. Every advance is immediately put to the test, every new unit brings new dependencies. «Super Fantasy Kingdom» has that rare talent of keeping me in a state of constant concentration without getting loud or frantic. It challenges without punishing - and that's exactly what makes it so fascinating.
How Super Fantasy Kingdom plays
What makes «Super Fantasy Kingdom» so unique is its restraint. It never forces me to rush, but lets me plan. The controls are simple: I place buildings in predefined positions, allocate workers to buildings, plan territorial expansion and select units. The rest happens automatically. Heroes, the military and villagers act independently, and that is precisely where the appeal lies. I'm not a commander, but an architect who tries to bring order to chaos.
The daily routine follows a clear rhythm: build, collect, defend. Each cycle only lasts a few minutes, but there is an astonishing amount of dynamism in this brevity. Decisions carry weight because every building site counts. Too many lumberjacks means less food, too little defence inevitably leads to your downfall. Nevertheless, the game never feels unfair.
The progression works via Roguelite mechanics. After each lost run, certain improvements remain: new heroes, building options or passive bonuses. This creates a constant learning process that avoids frustration and rewards curiosity. It is a game that is not defined by rewards, but by knowledge.
In Early Access, this is already running surprisingly smoothly. There are some minor inconsistencies, such as some units acting too passively or choosing strange routes. The balance between resource production and defence could also be fine-tuned. But the basic system is right. It is compact, readable and surprisingly elegant for a solo project.
A pixel kingdom with character
Optically, «Super Fantasy Kingdom» looks like a modern fairy tale in pixels. The style is simple, but not simplistic. Every building, every character has a clear silhouette that is immediately recognisable. Beer deliberately avoids gimmickry. Instead, the world lives from small details: fluttering flags, changes in light between day and night, tiny animations that bring the action to life. The style is reminiscent of 16-bit strategy classics, combined with modern UI elements that never get in the way.
The game uses colour as a mood tool. During the day, the kingdom shines in lush green and warm yellow tones. Fields, forests and paths form an almost peaceful landscape in which you briefly feel safe. But as soon as the sun sets, the mood changes noticeably: the light becomes colder, the ground darker and the monsters stand out as dark silhouettes against the landscape. Surviving in the night looks almost beautiful at first glance - until you recognise the growing number of red enemies.
The user interface supports this clear rhythm. Resources, units and status indicators are displayed at the top, with hero portraits at the bottom - all visible at a glance. It is a UI design that focuses on function rather than decoration.
Acoustically, the game remains just as restrained. Quiet music during the day, muted rumbling at night. The sound accompanies without dominating. Together, this creates an impression of controlled minimalism: not a visual spectacle, but a world that feels coherent because every element serves its purpose.
Interim conclusion: it works
After a few hours in Early Access, «Super Fantasy Kingdom» remains for me one of those games that grows quietly beneath the surface. It doesn't want to dazzle, it wants to work. And that's exactly what it does amazingly well. The combination of city building, roguelite structure and automated battles results in a game flow that is hard to compare: calm, tactical and yet full of tension.
What particularly impresses me is the consistency with which Feryaz Beer realises his idea. Everything in the game follows a clear logic. No feature seems overloaded or half-baked. And although the mechanics seem simple, the result is an astonishingly complex balance of planning, risk and adaptation. I'm already looking forward to the full release.
«Super Fantasy Kingdom» has been available in Early Access for PC since 25 October.
Header image: Hooded Horse
My interests are varied, I just like to enjoy life. Always on the lookout for news about darts, gaming, films and series.
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