Hey guys!
As we mentioned in our first blog when talking about the core fantasy we want to bring to life, we really want you to step into the shoes of a Ruler. That’s why today, I wanted to pull back the curtain on the central seat of your authority where your settlement steadily takes shape: The Council Table.
In most auto-battlers, the preparation phase revolves almost entirely in and around a shop. While that’s plenty of fun, our vision when designing One Must Rule was to immerse players deeply in the fantasy of building a true kingdom. What sets us apart - both visually and mechanically - is bringing you closer to the actual perspective of a Ruler, making every choice feel significant, and delivering a complete, cohesive experience. We wanted every decision to feel deliberate, like a monarch weighing state proposals, sealing decrees, and managing the growth of a settlement rather than flipping through a storefront.
Between battles, you cross paths with key figures across your kingdom:
The Architect: Arrives with building proposals essential to your settlement, allowing you to Construct the structures that best fit your plan. They will also bring duplicate buildings to the table, offering ways to upgrade them. In One Must Rule, there is no hard cap on leveling up your buildings, how powerful a structure becomes is entirely up to you and your strategy.
The Commander: Urges you to bolster your military might and presents the units available to Recruit. To prepare your settlement against incoming raids (PvE) and rival rulers (PvP), you draft the units you need and just like buildings, you can acquire duplicates to level them up.
The Quartermaster: A versatile hybrid encounter. When your strategy calls for adapting on the fly, the Quartermaster allows you to both Construct buildings and Recruit units in a single visit.
Beyond drafting cards through these encounters, you will also sign royal Decrees to shape your kingdom. These royal Decrees range from short-term tactical buffs to long-term economic policies, such as raising taxes to permanently increase your Gold income. Every choice you make at the table advances your calendar by one Month. As the months tick by, the pressure mounts because your preparation will soon be tested in automated combat against PvE raids and PvP battles. As a result, the Council Table is where your strategy is born, the battlefield just reveals whether your decisions were right.
If you haven't yet, you can hit Request Access on our Steam page to join our upcoming playtests, or drop by our Discord to share your feedback and stay tuned for the latest updates.
Best,
Seyhan
