Necrosurge

You are the necromancer. The Inquisition has dug in behind its fortress walls, and you mean to see it fall. Before each raid you place graves and element fields on the battlefield and raise a horde from the cards in your grimoire. Then the horde marches, and the fortress answers.

You never give your undead orders. Most of what matters in a raid is decided beforehand: which graves go where, which elements meet, which mutations your undead carry. Once the attack is under way, you still have ways to intervene. Your Soul Grip holds inquisitors in place, the death call raises fallen inquisitors to fight for you for a short while, and a grave rite makes a grave send out elite units. Gold from the war chest can bribe the inquisitors into withdrawing, or buy you time before the next wave.

The Inquisition won't just sit and wait. It raises the alarm in two stages, sends waves at you and thieves round your flank, and pitches siege camps right in your path. The longer you take, the more it throws at you, and you can't dodge.

Between raids you cross the campaign map, heading for events, side quests and resting places, and for the Inquisition's six bosses, each with a grand entrance of their own. Every wound you take carries over into the next raid. A victory heals you a little, and a resting place heals far more. Press on or rest first: it's your call.

There are 79 boons across five tiers. They're introduced a few at a time, and in the cauldron you fuse them into new ones. Edicts from the throne room shape every campaign. Win a full campaign to unlock the next Ascension, while your renown builds up over many hours of play. Anything you haven't come across yet stays shrouded in the codex until you do.

In the fog, you build without seeing the fortress. Against the clock puts a time limit on every build phase. In The descent there is no victory: the campaign ends when you fall. Then there's The mirror, and you can also play without the throne or in chaos. On top of that, there are trials where you can win bronze, silver or gold, and a campaign of the week that's the same for everyone.

The prologue is a scripted battle in which your predecessor, a fully upgraded necromancer, falls before the Citadel. On the parade ground you practise each rule separately, right up to the last drill. Every explanation comes in your necromancer's own words.

Also in the game

• English, German, Simplified Chinese, Russian, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese
• Mouse and keyboard, or controller
• Three save slots, each with three backups
• Colour-blind-friendly palette, blood you can switch off, and options to reduce effects and motion
• Steam Achievements, Steam Leaderboards and Steam Cloud
• Mods via the Steam Workshop

Epilepsy warning: Flashing lights, flickering images or fast patterns can trigger epileptic seizures in some people, even if they have never had one before. This game contains such effects. Effect density, screen shake and motion can all be reduced in the options.