Chronicles: Medieval

Chronicles: Medieval — Complete Beginner's Guide

What Is Chronicles: Medieval?

Chronicles: Medieval is a medieval sandbox action RPG set during the Hundred Years' War. Developed by Raw Power Games and coming to Steam in 2026, it puts you at the center of a vast, historically grounded Europe where battles, army building, and decisions shape your journey.

The core experience blends third-person melee combat with real-time army command. Hundreds of soldiers clash around you — banners against banners, steel against steel. You fight alongside your troops while commanding them in real time, rising from an unknown soldier to someone this era will remember.

The world is built on technology that makes every landscape feel rich and credible, accompanied by an authentic soundtrack. Factions shift in power, enemy forces patrol the landscape, and unexpected events unfold as you travel.

How to Play

You start as a soldier with nothing — no rank, no coin, no reputation. From here, everything is earned through combat and choices.

Open World Exploration: Travel across a map of medieval Europe shaped by the Hundred Years' War. Each region has its own faction allegiances, resources, and threats. You can take on mercenary contracts, join a lord's army, or go rogue.

Combat: Third-person melee combat with realistic weapon handling. Timing and positioning matter more than stats. A well-timed block opens your opponent for a counterattack. Shield bashes break guards. Spears outrange swords but are weaker in close quarters.

Army Command: As you gain reputation, you can recruit and command troops. Issue orders using the formation system: line up for shield walls, flank with cavalry, or rain arrows with ranged squads. Troop morale matters — a unit that's flanked or outnumbered will break and flee.

Combat System

Weapons have three key attributes: Speed, Range, and Damage Type (blunt, slash, pierce).

• Swords: Versatile. Good speed, medium range, slash damage. Best all-around weapon.
• Axes: Slower but higher damage. Good against armored opponents. Slash damage with armor penetration.
• Spears: Longest range, thrust attacks. Excellent for keeping enemies at a distance. Pierce damage.
• Maces: Slow but devastating. Blunt damage ignores most armor types. Best against heavily armored foes.
• Bows: Ranged attacks with limited ammo. Headshots are instant kills on unarmored enemies.
• Shields: Not a weapon, but essential for survival. A raised shield blocks most frontal attacks.

Combat Tips:

• Face your opponent. Attacks from behind deal bonus damage and can't be blocked.
• Use terrain. Fight uphill for a reach advantage. Use tree lines to break enemy archer lines of sight.
• Manage stamina. Blocking and heavy attacks drain stamina rapidly. Exhausted fighters can't block.
• Target officers first. Enemy troops fight harder when their commander is alive.

Army Management

Your army consists of units you recruit from towns, castles, or battlefield survivors.

Unit Types:

Morale System: Each unit has a morale bar. High morale units fight harder and resist breaking. Low morale units rout (flee the battlefield). Morale is affected by: winning/losing engagements, officer survival, flanking maneuvers, and unit cohesion.

Formations:

• Shield Wall: Spearmen and swordsmen lock shields. Slow but nearly impenetrable from the front.
• Wedge: Cavalry charges in a wedge formation. Maximum impact on first contact.
• Skirmish: Archers spread out. Reduces arrow loss from return fire.
• Testudo: Experiment — Roman-style shield shell. Theory says it works against arrows.

Early Game Strategy

First 5 hours priority:

1. Get a horse. Mobility is everything. A horse lets you outrun threats, chase down fleeing enemies, and cover ground faster.
2. Join a faction. Pick a side in the war. Fighting alone is harder than fighting with a lord's army.
3. Build a war chest. Save 500 gold minimum before recruiting. Troops need pay and supplies.
4. Recruit archers first. They're cheap, effective, and let you soften enemies before committing your melee troops.

Common mistakes to avoid:

• Don't fight heavily armored opponents with a sword. Switch to a mace or warhammer.
• Don't neglect shields. Even a small buckler blocks arrows.
• Don't chase fleeing enemies too far — they might lead you into an ambush.
• Don't recruit cavalry too early. They cost 3x as much as infantry and die just as easily to spears.

FAQ

Q: When will Chronicles: Medieval be released? A: 2026 on Steam. The exact date hasn't been announced yet.

Q: Is this a simulation game? A: It's an action RPG with strategy elements. You fight in third-person and command troops in real time.

Q: Can I play as a female character? A: Information on character creation is not yet confirmed.

Q: Is there multiplayer? A: The current information suggests singleplayer only.

Q: Who is developing this? A: Raw Power Games, an indie studio based in Spain.

Q: How big is the map? A: The game covers a significant portion of Western Europe, with a focus on France and England during the Hundred Years' War period.