After 2 years of early access success, '90s-inspired strategy game shoots past 500,000 wishlists with a fourth campaign and 1.0 release date announcement

A battle rages in the foreground while lightning strikes from behind in a screenshot from Songs of Conquest's release date trailer.
(Image credit: Coffee Stain Publishing)

Songs of Conquest, the forthcoming turn-based strategy sim inspired by 1990s classics, is now exiting early access on May 20 and that announcement has almost catapulted the game past 500,000 wishlists. 

"The message about our upcoming 1.0 release seems to have been noticed," the game's social media account announced. "Thank you all for helping us amplify the upcoming release. The game now has almost half a million wishlists across Steam, GOG, and [the Epic Games Store.]"

For those unfamiliar, Songs of Conquest rips a page from Heroes of Might's playbook with turn-based combat on a hexagonal grid, kingdom micromanagement, and city-building that consists of improving constructions and whatnot. That fusion seems to have gone down a treat since its early access debut last summer, as the game sits pretty with a 'Very Positive' based on Steam user reviews.

Songs of Conquest's full 1.0 launch also adds a "fourth and final campaign" that casts players as Bhigli, "a wielder with grand ambitions," according to the team's recent blog post. "Discover the pivotal role played by the mercenary tinkerers of Barya as the final part of the story unfolds."

While Songs of Conquest is bookmarking its current story, the blog also reassures fans that "our journey together does not end here." There might not be any new chapters incoming, but the team is apparently "finalizing plans for more content, updates, and general improvements as we post this very news… you should expect more exciting news in the near future."

In the meantime, check out the other best strategy games you can (and should) play right now.

Freelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.