Developed by Adamant Studios and published by MicroProse Software, Knights of Frontier Valley is a challenging, roguelike RPG inspired by classic titles. It is built on a custom engine that has been developed by a single developer, Martin Menzel, who spent years perfecting the game engine that he wanted for his game. He is now sharing his journey from the start to the current version of Knights of Frontier Valley in a brand-new interview that dives into how the engine was created and how he molded the game into it. This is not your average behind-the-scenes post as it explains in detail how the characters act and travel in an ever-changing world even if you are not watching them.
In a detailed dev interview posted on Steam, the developer shares different aspects of how he developed the custom engine including the motivation that led him to create a custom engine, the basics of the engine he created, how the character models and action queues were created, and finally, how the character travel modules work in the engine. Martin Menzel spent years developing the engine right from scratch, including low-level tasks like memory management and rendering, as well as high-level tasks like pathfinding, adaptive game time, weather modeling, and everything else. If you are interested in reading the complete dev interview, you can check it out on the official Steam page.
Martin comments:
There are easier ways to make a game, but I wanted full code control to build my vision from the ground up, no shortcuts.
Knights of Frontier Valley is a procedurally generated, turn-based RPG where you step into the shoes of an adventurer in a richly simulated world. The game will throw everything at you, ranging from seasonal weather and shifting faction politics to hunger, sickness, and other things, to give you a true sense of survival. The game blends classic cRPG nostalgia with dynamic systems and tough decisions to deliver an ambitious experience. The game is built on a completely custom engine developed by a solo developer over the past years, and it serves one goal: ‘immersion that feels alive’.
Apart from a custom-built engine, Knights of Frontier Valley’s developer is also teaming up with the legendary Rob Kuntz who contributes his design to the game. Rob Kuntz is one of the earliest architects of tabletop role-playing and his work on Dungeons & Dragons helped shape the genre. His involvement with Knights of Frontier Valley is a testament to the quality of work going into the game. With MicroProse on the publishing front, Rob Kuntz providing his valuable input and Martin Menzel’s custom engine, Knights of Frontier Valley is a love letter to the entire history of role-playing, from tabletop to digital age.
Key features of Knights of Frontier Valley include:
- Procedurally generated world: new maps, items, and storylines every run
- Gridless, turn-based tactical combat—or instant auto-resolve
- Deep survival systems (hunger, exhaustion, cold, wounds, and more)
- Hand-drawn art—no generative AI used
- Hundreds of persistent NPCs with their own behaviors and routines
- Realistic seasons, day/night cycles, and dynamic weather
- Built on a completely custom engine designed by a single developer
Knights of the Frontier Valley is slated for release on PC via Steam soon. We do not have a confirmed release date as of now, but you can expect additional details to drop soon from the publisher. A Steam page for the game is now live where you can add the game to your wishlist.
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Are you looking forward to playing Knights of the Frontier Valley and what are your thoughts on the latest dev interview video showcasing deep dive in the game’s custom engine? Let us know in the comments section below.
