The role-playing game breathes new life into the classic first-person dungeon-crawler genre while also unifying Central European folklore and legends – most of which have never been depicted in video games – into one cohesive universe.

The land of Operencia is an unconventional fantasy world where history meets legend – a faraway land referenced in countless Central European folktales told for hundreds of years. For the first time ever, these stories all occur in the context of one single universe. Adding further depth, real-life historical figures populate the game, such as more legendary versions of King Attila and his wife Réka. Locations vary from common fairytale settings (e.g., castles, tombs and forests) to fantastical versions of storied landmarks anyone can physically visit today.

Zen has gone to great lengths to ensure that everything in Operencia: The Stolen Sun feels familiar to RPG players, yet still modern and novel. Through a classic tile-based movement system, players explore the far reaches of the land, engaging in strategic turn-based battles at every turn. The entire quest to free the abducted Sun King, Napkirály – thereby saving Operencia from endless days of night – comes rife with malevolent monsters, devious traps and mind-bending puzzles. Perhaps even a three-headed dragon…

Go behind the scenes of this first-person dungeon crawler and discover what it took to create a couple core gameplay mechanics found in the fantastical world of Operencia.

Lead Designer Ferenc Nagy-Szakall kicks it off by explaining the four main elements of Operencia, Puzzles and Combat being at its core. Game Designer Andras Klujber reveals a few games that were used to inspire the modernized turn-based combat system found in Operencia. Also, QA Technician Gergely Drobina reveals some challenges the team faced when trying to find the perfect balance of difficulty within the game. Finally, Game Designer/Writer Oliver Sandor shares the irony of how the puzzles he designed to be the simplest, turned out to be the most difficult for others to solve and gives you the inside scoop of who to blame if you find it difficult to conjure up all the potions at the crafting table.

Key Features:

• Where History Meets Legend: Operencia is home to an intriguing mix of unexplored mythology and fantastical versions of actual historical locations (e.g., Deva Fortress, Balvanyos) and characters (e.g., Attila, Seven Chieftains of the Magyars), all coming together to form one cohesive new gaming universe. Several of your own seven party members take influence from heroes of forgotten tales told hundreds of years ago, such as the brave knight Mezey and Sebastian the Dragon Slayer.
• A Tale for the Ages: An unknown force has abducted the Sun King Napkirály, leaving Operencia in a state of perpetual darkness – and eventual doom. From hidden royal tombs and cursed castles to an ascent up the World Tree to reach the Copper Forest of the Land of the Gods, explore diverse settings throughout the far reaches of the land…and beyond. Each location boasts its own unique atmosphere, visual style, level design and puzzles, and many take place entirely outdoors.
• Beautiful Presentation: Breathtaking hand-drawn cutscenes and fabulous 2D character portraits bring the story to life in a style not easily compared to any other game. More than 30 colorful roles are fully voiced through top-tier performances authentic to the game’s Central European roots.
• Puzzles Everywhere: From intricate riddles to selecting the proper ingredients to craft new items, dozens of puzzles challenge your brainpower throughout all of Operencia.
• Classic Gameplay and Exploration: Along with a deeply strategic turn-based battle system full of spells and special skills to execute, tile-based movement encourages thorough exploration of each area. For added challenge, turn on Cartographer mode to plot out each of the 13 maps yourself.
• Explore 13 diverse, puzzle-filled levels
• Defeat more than 50 enemy types
• Switch between 7 fully upgradable – and memorable – characters
• Robust difficulty settings allow you to select options such as limiting saves, implementing permadeath, and disabling auto-mapping to create your own
• Stunning visuals powered by Unreal Engine 4
• An epic orchestral score composed by Arthur Grósz
• Fully 3D environments, enemies and objects, plus high-fidelity advanced effects with dynamic shadows and lighting
• AAA Indie production quality and polish with top-tier voice acting, soundtrack, cutscenes and writing

Operencia: The Stolen Sun will be available in 2019 on Xbox One and PC.