Beat the Devil at his own game.

A folk horror card battler with beautiful stylized art, animated figurines, dazzling effects, haunted sound and music, and an original first-person narrative set in the 17th century in a remote region of the Arctic circle. Investigate the mystery of the late Mariken Svangård as the masked Maven, her pupil in the dark arts and final friend. Use your wits and skills to compete in an ancient game against a series of demons to cleanse the souls of the late Mariken’s family before the Devil comes to claim his due.

At the center of the ceremonial board is the Fanghella, the Killing Stone. A collection of magical creature figurines, spells, and incantations allows for a variety of clever tactics. The game pieces are full of life and character, giving a very tactile and responsive experience while still allowing players to deliberate their every move.

A novel Reserve System allows for more strategic plays, letting you stack units and buffing incantations above the battle line for later deployment. Creature placement, spellcasting, and bargaining to add powerful banes and boons to your deck all affect your chances of success.

In between matches, the story plays out in first-person with a painterly stylized presentation. You are a Maven, master of the dark arts - and Mariken's final friend.  Explore the mansion and talk with family members - and animal familiars - to learn the circumstances of her final days.

The eerie tone of the game and setting are further enhanced by the game being told in two styles: a period 17th century English, and a more modern prose. Players will be allowed to switch both text and VO to enjoy the game in the version they prefer. Branching dialogues let you dive deeper into the story, learning the origin of the familial curse, and shedding light on the characters' motives and fears.

Question’s The Killing Stone will now launch through Steam Early Access on February 18, 2026.

While a 1.0 release was originally planned for this date, the team made the difficult decision to postpone the full release to ensure the game is as polished as possible. The Killing Stone will launch in Early Access at a discounted price of $12.99, with the full 1.0 release planned for later this year.

“Over the course of development, The Killing Stone became more story-forward than originally envisioned in pre-production. It now features a mystery-driven narrative, and interactive conversations with a modern English script and a 17th century script,” said Question’s co-owner and narrative director Jordan Thomas. “The feedback we've gotten from our playtesters suggests that players are especially invested in this narrative layer. They want more story, more voice acted content - and they want to puzzle out what's going on without being spoon-fed, all of which is going to take a lot of iteration based directly on player feedback.”

Question’s full statement

Hello all,

We want to share an update on the release plans for The Killing Stone. 

As development has progressed and we’ve begun receiving larger waves of feedback, it became clear that the game has evolved in ways that benefit from a more collaborative launch approach. While our recent release date announcement trailer was made with a full release in mind, some of these insights came in later than we'd anticipated, prompting us to reassess the best path forward.

As a result, we are now planning to release The Killing Stone in Early Access on February 18, 2026, with a full 1.0 launch planned for later this year. 

We're sorry for the confusion and late change of plans, but we want to adjust that message now so that it's very clear what folks will get if they buy the game on the 18th. 

The Early Access build includes: 

• All three primary story arcs (and associated decks of cards), one for each family

• All the Optional missions (called Rituals)

• A total of three demon lord opponents across critical path and optional content. 

However, Early Access will not contain the game's substantial endgame arc, called The Reckoning - that will be added with the final 1.0 release.

Over the course of development, The Killing Stone became more story-forward than originally envisioned in pre-production. It now features a mystery-driven narrative, and interactive conversations with a modern English script and a 17th century script (player's choice).

The feedback we've gotten from our playtesters suggests that players are especially invested in this narrative layer. They want more story, more voice acted content - and they want to puzzle out what's going on without being spoon-fed, all of which is going to take a lot of iteration based directly on player feedback.

During Early Access, we plan to: 

• Expand and refine voiced narrative content

• Test story clarity and comprehension throughout the experience

• Revise pacing and presentation based on player feedback

• Give players access to 90%+ of the cards and mechanical combos in the intricate deckbuilder component of the game, making changes to balance and tuning based on the input from our Early Access community

Thank you so much for your understanding and continued interest. We're excited to welcome players on February 18 who enjoy the Early Access experience and want to help us shape the story and deckbuilding systems at the heart of The Killing Stone.

- J. Thomas, Question LLC

 

Battles feed into a Ritual bargain against the Devil’s minions for the soul of each family member. Like a cat with a mouse, Demons love to play with their victims. Their pride cannot resist a wager if they think they can tilt the outcome to their advantage - but you can call their bluff.

Each Svangård has their own card deck representing their souls, cursed with debts left by their Matriarch. The outcomes of a Bargain offer powerful effects which permanently affect the family member you are helping with helpful Boons or heavy Banes.

You only have a few rounds to negotiate before the Ritual is completed, and only a few Rituals to make a difference and alter a family member's fate before the final Reckoning is due. 

These bargains and the opposing demons change as you progress. No two playthroughs are identical. Replays grant you new dark miracles, and ways to change the ending.

Purge the Svangård family’s hereditary curse before the devil arrives. Hopefully, without losing your own soul.

Key Features:

• A Living, Tactile Card Battler. A ceremonial game board centered around the Fanghella, the Killing Stone, featuring a collection of magical creature figurines, spells, and incantations that allow for a variety of clever tactics.

• Strategic Reserve System with Meaningful Choices. A novel Reserve mechanic lets players stack units and buff incantations above the battle line for later deployment. Creature placement, spellcasting, and bargaining add powerful banes and boons to your deck affecting your chances of success.

• Occult Horror Narrative. Play as the Maven and uncover the haunting truth behind Mariken Svangård's death (and life) as you engage family members and animal familiars in search of clues.

• Navigate Ritual Contracts. To save the family, you must win their souls through ritual combat with various demons. Every contract is signed in blood, then the bargaining begins. Forge, swap, negotiate, and battle through a series of rituals, the outcome of which are permanent banes (or boons) carried to your final reckoning.

• Dual-Language Storytelling with Acclaimed Voice Talent. The full narrative can be experienced in either authentic 17th Century English or modern prose, with customizable text and voiceover options. Featuring voice performances by Emma Gregory (Baldur’s Gate 3) and Liam O'Brien of Critical Role.

The Killing Stone is coming to PC (Steam) on February 18, 2026.