Darfall Blends City-Building, Heroes, and Survival on PC

Launch Details and Core Concept

Paradox Arc and SquareNite have launched a curveball for fans of city-builders and survival games with Darfall, now available on PC via Steam as of May 8, 2025. Priced at $24.99/€24.50/£20.99, Darfall offers more than standard city management. Players are tasked not only with expanding their settlements, but also with leading powerful heroes to defend against nightly undead invasions.

Genre Fusion: City-Building Meets Tactical RPG

Darfall stands out by merging hero-driven RPG elements with classic city-building and survival mechanics. Instead of directing the action from afar, you’ll control one of several hero classes—Mage, Slayer, Paladin, Beastmaster, or Engineer—each with unique skills and progression trees. This adds tactical depth and customization reminiscent of hero-centric classics like Warcraft III, blended with the tense survival of games such as They Are Billions.

Game Modes and Replayability

The game features a story-driven campaign set in the fantasy realm of Aganor, where daytime is spent gathering resources, expanding your city, and preparing defenses. As night falls, waves of undead assault your settlement, turning each dusk into a tactical challenge. For players seeking a tougher experience, Survival Mode ramps up enemy strength and numbers with each night, encouraging continual adaptation.

Darfall further boosts replay value with a Scenario Editor powered by mod.io, enabling players to create custom maps, missions, and even adjust game rules. This focus on user-generated content could help keep the game fresh well beyond launch.

Visuals and First Impressions

Visually, Darfall has transitioned from its early voxel prototype to a more conventional isometric style. While not groundbreaking, the art direction is functional and keeps the action clear during the heat of battle. The interface is streamlined, making it easy to monitor both your city and hero’s actions even when chaos erupts at night.

Looking Ahead

Darfall enters the “premium indie” space with expectations for depth and replayability. The interplay between hero abilities and city-building systems holds promise, though the longevity of its nightly siege mechanic and overall balance will become clearer with extended play.

While it may be early to declare Darfall a genre-defining hit, its blend of strategy, action, and user-created content shows ambition. Fans of tactical city-builders with a fantasy twist may want to keep an eye on how Darfall evolves in the coming months.