Dungeons & Kingdoms just hit Early Access — build a realm, then raid for it… but there’s a catch

Build a kingdom, dive into dungeons – and why that combo matters

Dungeons & Kingdoms is now in Early Access as of November 17, 2025, and its hook is clean: you’re not just designing a medieval settlement – you’re the one venturing into third-person dungeons to unlock the tech and resources your village needs. If you’ve bounced between colony sims like Going Medieval and ARPG grinds like Enshrouded or Diablo, this is the rare game that tries to make those two loops feed each other instead of competing for your time. That’s why this caught my attention: the promise of a kingdom-builder with a meaningful reason to pick up a sword.

Key takeaways

• It’s a hybrid: kingdom-building and villager management meet third-person dungeon crawling and light survival.
• Early Access is single-player on PC via Steam and GOG, priced at $19.99 with a 10% launch discount.
• Sandbox and Creative modes are in at launch, plus Steam Workshop support – a big win for longevity.
• The real test is whether boss unlocks and dungeon loot genuinely accelerate village growth instead of feeling bolted on.

Breaking down the launch

Camlann Games and Uncle Grouch Gaming are putting out a clean pitch: build a settlement with over 100 modular pieces, manage your villagers’ jobs and wellbeing, and reshape terrain to your advantage. Then grab your gear, descend into dungeons, and take down bosses to unlock new resources and technology that push your kingdom into its next tier. It’s a loop that makes intuitive sense — your realm funds your raids, and your raids fuel your realm.

Early Access is PC-only and single-player, available on Steam and GOG at a $19.99 launch price (10% off out of the gate). Notably, there’s Steam Workshop support from day one, which is rare for a brand-new hybrid like this and a smart hedge against content droughts. Sandbox mode should let systems-benders stress test the economy, while Creative mode is catnip for folks who just want to paint with stone and timber without survival pressure.

On paper, there’s a lot here: modular construction, terraforming, villager roles, hunting and resource chains, multiple dungeon types with bosses, and that progression gimmick where victories below ground unlock blueprints above it. The question isn’t whether that’s enough bullet points — it’s whether the loops align so you’re not constantly context-switching between two different games that barely talk to each other.

Why this matters now

We’ve been drowning in survival-crafting hits the last couple of years, but most of them are co-op sandboxes where village life is a backdrop for boss runs. Dungeons & Kingdoms flips that emphasis: it’s single-player and leans harder into colony-sim structure, with dungeons as an extension of your city plan rather than a separate hobby. Think SpellForce’s ambition to blend genres, but closer to a management sim than an RTS.

If it lands, you’ll get a delicious cause-and-effect rhythm — you brave a crypt, beat a boss, come home with materials or tech that unlock, say, a new production chain or better defenses, which in turn makes the next dive safer and more rewarding. I love when a game makes me feel like a ruler and a raider in the same save file. That’s the dream this is selling.

The danger is obvious too. Colony sims live or die on villager AI, job queues, and pathfinding. ARPGs live or die on combat feel, enemy variety, and clear progression. Shipping both at once in Early Access is brave — and risky. If either side is janky, the other suffers. I’ve seen great ideas like this falter because boss unlocks felt arbitrary or because the economy never needed dungeon materials, making the raids optional instead of essential.

The catch: single-player only (for now)

Some folks will bounce right away because there’s no co-op at launch. Fair. But as someone who actually enjoys the quiet tyranny of colony management, I don’t mind this choice. Single-player lets the team focus on systems that often break in multiplayer — villager schedules, simulation ticks, and combat readability — without the netcode tax. Just know what you’re buying into: a solo kingdom to fuss over and raid for, not a Palworld-style buddy grind.

Workshop on day one is a smart play

Having Steam Workshop support at launch could be the difference between “neat prototype” and “surprise timesink.” Expect convenience mods (smarter hauling, job priorities), build set expansions, UI cleanups, and eventually custom dungeons or balance overhauls. If the core loop is solid, modders will sprint. If it’s shaky, they’ll still paper over rough edges — but that only goes so far. GOG players won’t have Workshop integration, but manual modding should still be possible.

What to watch during Early Access

• Economy balance: Do dungeon materials meaningfully gate progress, or can you ignore raids?
• Combat feel: Hit feedback, stamina/ability economy, readable enemy patterns — does it feel deliberate or floaty?
• Villager AI: Pathfinding, job priorities, and downtime behavior will make or break the midgame.
• Dungeon variety: Tilesets, boss mechanics, and reasons to revisit cleared spaces need breadth and depth.
• Patch cadence: Quick hotfixes are nice, but look for steady, focused updates that connect the loops.
• Stability and saves: It’s Early Access — back up your kingdoms and expect some jank.

Value-wise, $19.99 (with a launch discount) is a fair ask for a single-player tinkerer’s sandbox with a clear spine and Workshop from day one. If you love colony sims and ARPGs, there’s enough here to justify an early seat — with the understanding you’re helping test a very ambitious blend. If you’re on the fence, give it a couple of patches and watch how the economy-dungeon handshake evolves.

TL;DR

Dungeons & Kingdoms just launched into PC Early Access (Steam/GOG) at $19.99, mixing village management with third-person dungeon runs and day-one Workshop support. The idea rules; the execution has to make dungeons essential to growth and keep villager AI sane. If that clicks, this could be your next long-haul save.