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Ashen Testament
A first-person pixel-art roguelite where every death changes the world. Carry a living book down the road to the Black Gate with blade and Ranged/Secondary. Fall, and a new Bearer takes your place under harsher laws. Win, and you rule, until the next Bearer comes for your crown.

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Languages:
Interface Full Audio Subtitles
English ✔ ✔ ✔

Coming Soon To Early Access

The developers of this game intend to release as a work in progress, developing with the feedback of players.

Note: Games in Early Access are not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development. Learn more

What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

“I’m developing Ashen Testament solo, and I want players to help shape it as development continues. Early Access gives me a chance to hear what’s working, what needs improvement, and where to focus next, while staying true to the game’s original vision.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“I’m aiming for around 6 -12 months in Early Access. That’s an estimate, and the timeline may change depending on feedback and how development progresses.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“Early Access already has the full road: three countries, the Black Gate, and every way the story can end. During Early Access I plan to deepen it rather than rebuild it:

- More foes, events and Testaments for each country, and more ways for a reign to change the world
- More accessibility options: adjustable text size, narration display settings and a high-contrast mode
- Balance and pacing changes shaped by player feedback, especially across a long Succession
- Better controller support, and Steam Deck verification
- Polish everywhere: art, sound, music and writing

The exact list will follow what players tell me matters most.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Ashen Testament is fully playable from the first Bearer to the last ending. It includes three countries, 39 kinds of foe (all drawn from every side), five bosses plus the Ruler, 25 weapons, 121 Testaments with 12 fusions, 113 road events, 16 laws and Decrees, 28 achievements and leaderboards, and the full Succession: the Wall of the Fallen, named nemeses, kin who carry on, and a reign that the next Bearer has to face.

It is stable and has been played through many times, but expect rough edges, balance changes and the occasional bug. Your saves will carry over between updates.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“I plan to gradually raise the price as major content arrives, so anyone who buys during Early Access pays the lowest price.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“Players shape what comes next. I'll read the Steam discussions and reviews, and post patch notes with every update explaining what changed and why. The game also has two optional, opt-in tools for feedback: after a run it can ask how that run felt, and it can keep a local playtest log you can choose to share with bug reports. Nothing is ever sent automatically.

When I'm unsure about a big change, like a new law, a rebalanced weapon or a new country, I'll put it to the community first and give it time on a beta branch before it goes live.”
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About This Game

[h2]A roguelite where your choices shape the world around you.[/h2]

You are the Custodian of a living book. Your Bearer carries it down the road to the Black Gate, through three countries of servants who want what is written in it. Fast blade-and-gun combat, a branching road of fights and choices, and a world that remembers every death.

[h2]Every death is written down[/h2]

When a Bearer falls, the book answers with a [b]Decree[/b], a new law the world must obey on the next run. Then someone else picks it up: a stranger with a trade, or the kin of the one who fell, carrying something of theirs. The names of the dead go up on the Wall of the Fallen. The foe that killed you gets a name too, and it will be waiting.

[h2]Win, and the next Bearer comes for you[/h2]

Reach the Black Gate and take the seat, and your Bearer becomes the [b]Ruler[/b]. Your statue goes up. Your weapons become theirs to face. The next Bearer has to cut through the reign you built.

[h2]Blade in one hand, something worse in the other[/h2]

[list]

[*][b]25 weapons[/b] for two hands: sabres and scythes, pistols and slings, censer-flails, shears, zweihanders

[*][b]121 Testaments[/b] to write into the book, with resonances that wake when you build toward them, and 12 fusions

[*]Dash through a blow to slip it, and read each foe's wind-up before it lands

[/list]

[h2]Three countries, and everything in them[/h2]

[list]

[*][b]39 kinds of foe[/b], all drawn from every side: candle-headed monks, paper hounds, misprints that split in two, a Bell-Widow who will not stop ringing

[*]Five bosses, each with its own pattern to learn

[*]Rival factions that fight each other, and you

[*]113 road events, a stall of strange goods, Oaths to swear for greater rewards

[/list]

[h2]A book that explains itself[/h2]

Hover over any of the book's words for a plain meaning. When you die, a page tells you what killed you and what to try next time. Plenty of comfort options, too: screen shake, head bob, flashes, field of view.

[h2]Features[/h2]

[list]

[*]Hand-drawn pixel art in a first-person world

[*]Permadeath runs with a succession that carries on

[*]Choices that change the laws, the people and the road

[*]28 achievements and leaderboards

[*]Steam Cloud saves

[/list]

AI Generated Content Disclosure

The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this:

Ashen Testament was designed and directed by a solo developer, who created the initial artwork and established the game’s lore, text, visual style, atmosphere, themes, and music choices. An AI assistant helped bring that vision to life through coding, including scripts that synthesize sound effects and music. No image, voice, or music generation models were used. All AI assistance happened during development—the game does not generate AI content while you play.

System Requirements

    Minimum:
    • OS: Windows 10, 64-bit
    • Processor: Dual-core 64-bit CPU with SSE 4.2 ( Intel Core i3-4130 or AMD FX-4300)
    • Memory: 4 GB RAM
    • Graphics: OpenGL 3.3 or Direct3D 11 (Intel HD Graphics 4600, NVIDIA GeForce GT 730 or AMD Radeon HD 7570
    • Storage: 500 MB available space
    Recommended:
    • OS: Windows 11 64-bit
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