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Gord is the demo that stole Steam Next Fest for me. It's the kind of game that has a little bit of everything, from immersive narrative-driven management sim to tactical tower defence, and it does so with stylish integrity.
Between building new structures, assigning your followers' professions, and keeping them all well-fed, sane, and healthy, you'll need to fight off the aggressive enemies constantly encircling your gord from the shadows. It's a constant struggle to survive, almost like playing a grittier The Witcher 3-themed take on The Sims 3 Medieval. That said, developer Covenant.dev does a great job of balancing its gameplay elements. Gord's stunning dark fantasy world is a constant joy to explore as you uncover mysteries, build your ranks, and push back against the terrors of the night.
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Cinematic cutscenes in general play a large role in Gord's campaign mode storytelling, a refreshing and engrossing change of pace from the on-screen text used to show dialogue between characters. Even these visual novel-style text sequences are fully voice acted, deepening our understanding of the characters we meet and face over the course of our journey. Boghdan, leader of the tribe of the Elder Dawn, is one of your right-hand men, as is the King's sneering emissary, Edwyn. Each of them has very different ideas of how to run things, but it's Boghdan you'll be turning to for guidance as you learn the ropes of running your gord.
The campaign plays out like a bleak fairytale, split into linear scenarios that lead on from one another. The Steam demo had a tutorial baked into these early scenarios, steadily introducing you to each of the building and management mechanics while leaving plenty of room for the story to unfold around you.
The underlying story is very much yours to guide; Gord goes so far as to let you choose the name of each new child, have them visit a wandering teacher to learn skills in exchange for gold, and eventually place them in a suitable profession once they enter adulthood. From welcoming new babies to burying the dead, your followers lead their own lives while idle that could have a lasting impact on the future of the gord.
As you play, you'll need to keep an eye on your gord's three core pillars: Growth, Sanity, and Faith. Managing the gord's well-being reminded me a lot of playing The Sims 4, since you need to tend to each individual's needs if you want them to be a functioning member of the group.
Just like working with a Sim's personality to find their perfect career, I took care to assign my followers' various professions according to their individual strengths, weaknesses, and traits. From foragers to lumberjacks, scouts, and thatchers, happy followers working in roles that fit their characteristics makes for a smooth-running gord. You can't keep them working all day, though; I made sure to construct a few meaderies and a temple to soothe my followers' ever-dwindling sanity.
Balancing act
From welcoming new babies to burying the dead, your followers lead their own lives while idle that could have a lasting impact on the future of the gord.
Faith in Gord works similarly to the faith meter in Cult of the Lamb too, with unhappy or low-morale followers running the risk of developing mental afflictions that can only be cured by a witch. Likewise, having no baths or burial grounds readily available will cause everyone's hygiene to dwindle rapidly. Rotting corpses and unwashed followers will affect your gord's Growth pillar, so unwell members should visit a hermit to cure their debilitating physical afflictions before they die from them.
You can counteract low hygiene and faith by building the requisite structures, but controlling sanity can be tricky. I found that looting corpses while exploring rewards you with scavenged items of varying value, from food to money or resources, but will mentally distress your followers and cause their sanity to plummet. Being in the dark for too long also whittles away at their peace of mind, so I ensured that anyone setting off beyond the gord's gates was equipped with a torch – or better yet, escorted by a scout.
Managing these gameplay elements on top of meeting campaign goals might sound chaotic, and it's true that things can quickly turn south if you're not keeping an eye on base camp. Still, these more intricate management systems add a narrative touch as seen in the best sim games. You're encouraged to create a backstory for your gord, getting you invested not only in the campaign storyline but the lives of your followers as well.
All of this is painted against a deliciously dark and macabre backdrop, one that expands constantly as you unlock new buildings, spells, and mission objectives. I managed to play just a few hours of the demo before Steam Next Fest wrapped, but it's given me a taste of what could be possible when the full game launches on August 8, 2023.
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