Planned Release Date: To be announced

About This Game

LIVE THE RISE AND FALL OF A RENAISSANCE CONDOTTIERO

Homini et Armi: The End of Knights is a narrative tactical and management game set in early 15th-century Italy. Rather than offering a traditional open-ended medieval sandbox, the game follows the life of a single mysterious Condottiero known only as Homo d’Armi, across four decisive moments of his existence.

Youth, ambition, glory, love, betrayal, ageing and war become the acts of a historical tragedy inspired by the dramatic structure of Shakespearean theatre. Behind the fiction lies an unusual historical foundation: the game originates from the study and transcription of unpublished 15th-century economic and military documents connected to Italian mercenary companies and their men-at-arms. 

Ledgers, letters, names, payments, possessions and fragments left behind by people who lived more than six centuries ago become the material from which the story is reconstructed.

HISTORY AS BOTH THEATRE AND NIGHTMARE

The story unfolds through an old archive. A Historian studies a group of forgotten books and gradually becomes trapped within the very sources he is trying to understand.

Through those documents, the player enters the life of Homo d’Armi. Years pass between one Book and the next. The young Condottiero becomes an experienced captain, then an aging warrior increasingly haunted by his own choices and by the dying ideals of chivalry.

The title is playable in both contemporary English and Shakespearean English, allowing players to immerse themselves in the documentation, brought to life as it would’ve been discussed in the 1500s. 

MANAGE A REAL RENAISSANCE MERCENARY COMPANY

War in 15th-century Italy was not simply fought with swords and lances. It was also fought with contracts, debts, salaries, estates, political prestige and carefully calculated risk.Between battles, you must manage the material existence of Homo d’Armi and his Company of Fortune.

Through a series of books and ledgers you will deal with:

• the finances of the House and Court;

• yearly expenses and military upkeep;

• estates, castles and feudal possessions;

• recruitment and dismissal of mercenary captains;

• ransom payments and prisoners;

• upgrades to weapons, armor, horses and military units;

• relationships between wealth, prestige, military glory and the fading dream of chivalry.

TWO WAYS TO EXPERIENCE EVERY BATTLE

You do not need to be an expert wargamer to experience the complete story of Homini et Armi. Before every major battle, the player can choose how deeply to engage with the military simulation.

• Narrative Battle A faster and more accessible resolution system focused on decisions, tactical attitudes, characters and consequences. This mode allows players primarily interested in the story to experience the entire life of Homo d’Armi without having to master a complex tactical wargame.

• Archangelus Battle System Players looking for a deeper challenge can instead enter the complete tactical simulation. The Archangelus Battle System is a turn-based wargame played on hexagonal battlefields and developed from years of research into military history and tabletop wargaming. Armies are composed of individually named units and Condottieri with different characteristics, strengths, weaknesses and loyalties. Combat revolves around positioning, morale, discipline, readiness, unit composition and battlefield objectives.

AN ARMY OF MEN, NOT GENERIC UNITS

The mercenary forces of Homini et Armi are composed of individually named companies and captains, many inspired directly by names found in historical documents. Light infantry, armored infantry, archers, crossbowmen, early handgunners, mixed formations and heavily armored men-at-arms all have distinct battlefield roles. 

THE AUTUMN OF THE MIDDLE AGES: HISTORY, DREAM AND ANACHRONISM

Set in 15th-century Italy, Homini et Armi is a historical narrative strategy game exploring the decline of knighthood and the conflict between chivalric ideals and the brutal realities of mercenary warfare. 

Inspired by authentic historical records and the striking artwork of Paolo Uccello, the game blends historical accuracy with dreamlike, deliberately anachronistic storytelling. 

Players follow a professional warrior across four defining stages of his life, navigating political intrigue, military campaigns, financial management and moral dilemmas while commanding mercenary forces in narrative or tactical turn-based battles. Featuring historically inspired language options, meaningful choices and a story that continues even through defeat, Homini et Armi explores the timeless struggle between ambition, honour, survival and the impossible ideal of the perfect Knight.