Iratus: Lord of the Dead tells the story of a dark necromancer on a quest for vengeance. After many years dead, he has risen from the grave to reign terror on a world that has grown too comfortable for his liking. Finally ready to strike, gamers will take up his grisly (if sardonic) mantle and rebuild an army to defeat the pesky heroes that have taken residence underground. 

Iratus adds plenty of challenge to the classic turn-based combat system. Each fight is highly strategic, making every action in a battle matter. Debuffs, minion types, even movement will impact a fight for better or worse. Failure results in permanently destroyed minions, so players will need to think through every fight to hold onto valuable resources. The combat system is designed to avoid repetitive battles that are common to the genre and instead focus on unique strategic experiences and tactical situations that differ as your progress.

Because Iratus's minions are undead, players now possess the means to affect morale meters that burdened them in other games. Depending on the monster and their abilities, they can lower the morale of the heroes they fight. If their morale is past the breaking point, enemies might flee the fight or even die from fear.

While heroes are renowned for the loot they'd collect in other RPGs, Iratus is only interested in their corpses. Collecting body parts from fallen enemies allows him to create various undead minions to fight in his name, such as Skeletons, Zombies, Vampires, and Banshees. This morbid crafting, along with Iratus's other necromantic powers in Alchemy, Magic, and Tactics, will level up as Iratus re-remembers his powers and reestablishes his domain over death itself.

Using Iratus’s dungeon as a base, player’s are able to embark on ever-changing battles, that will require players to use all of Iratus’s abilities and minions in order to achieve victory and replenish the necromancer’s supply of useful “items”. The dungeon is also where players can hone the skills of Iratus, craft additional and more powerful minions and choose their preferred methods of battle.

The free patch adds two new minions to the ranks of the evil necromancer Iratus — the Unfrozen (available to everyone) and the Infested (exclusive to owners of the Supporter Pack). Former allies of Iratus from the cold north, the Unfrozen had no choice but to turn themselves into frozen husks. While not quite as powerful as the great necromancer himself, these ancient beings now serve Iratus with their ice magic. The Infested are feeble zombies whose bodies are rife with diseases and plagues which they can spread among the enemy, wreaking havoc on their morale.

In addition, the free update introduces three new enemies — the Shadowelf, Ataman and Gargoyle — who will require new strategies to overcome. The new “Endless Rise” mode is available to all players who crave a unique challenge by diving into never-ending dungeons. Furthermore, the update comes in with new spells for Iratus, dozens of new artifacts, and a variety of balancing and UI improvements.

Iratus: Lord of the Dead is now available through Steam Early Access, and is currently discounted by 25% for 48 hours to celebrate the update.

Key Features

• Develop and improve your below ground lair with necromantic powers.
• Craft undead minions with the body parts of dead enemies.
• Advanced fighting system: Know your enemies’ strong points and weak spots to achieve victory.
• Turn-based battle system with up to 50 original minion’s talents.
• Intelligent enemy AI, challenging even experienced RPG-strategists.
• Three types of necromancer talents for gameplay: alchemy, magic talents, or tactical skills.
• Raid into enemy territory full of danger and surprises.
• Irreversible consequences. Classic roguelike features including character permadeath.
• Detailed stylized 2D graphics in the spirit of dark fantasy.
• Detailed skeletal animation made with Spine.
• Designed by Oles Ivanchenko: Well-known videoblogger, RPG mechanics specialist, and the author of one of the most influential manuals for Darkest Dungeons.
• Voiced by S Weyte (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Mario Party 8, Blood and Metroid: Other M).