Game Overview

What is Of Ash and Steel?

Of Ash and Steel is a challenging dark fantasy action RPG that combines punishing combat, intricate survival mechanics, and unforgiving exploration into a cohesive and deeply rewarding experience. Developed with a focus on player agency and authentic difficulty, the game eschews modern quality-of-life conveniences in favor of creating a truly immersive and demanding adventure through a desolate, post-apocalyptic world.

Unlike many contemporary RPGs that guide players with quest markers, tutorials, and forgiving mechanics, Of Ash and Steel takes inspiration from classic hardcore RPGs and punishing roguelikes. The game drops you into a hostile environment with minimal instruction, challenging you to learn through experimentation, observation, and often, failure. Every system in the game is designed to create tension and meaningful decisions, from resource management to combat encounters to exploration choices.

Core Gameplay Pillars

Survival Above All

Survival in Of Ash and Steel goes far beyond simple health management. You must constantly monitor and maintain multiple vital statistics including hunger, thirst, body temperature, fatigue, and various injury states. The environment itself is hostile—extreme weather conditions can kill you as surely as any enemy, and nighttime brings both decreased visibility and increased danger from nocturnal predators and supernatural threats.

Food and water are scarce commodities that require active scavenging and hunting. You cannot simply purchase unlimited supplies from merchants; instead, you must learn to identify edible plants, hunt wildlife, purify water sources, and preserve perishable goods. Eating contaminated food or drinking unsafe water can lead to illness, forcing you to either endure debilitating debuffs or expend precious medical resources to cure yourself.

Temperature management adds another layer of complexity. Cold environments drain your warmth meter, eventually leading to hypothermia, while extreme heat can cause dehydration and heatstroke. You must plan your expeditions around weather patterns, carry appropriate clothing and supplies, and know the locations of shelter where you can rest and recover.

Brutal, Skill-Based Combat

Combat in Of Ash and Steel is methodical, tactical, and extremely punishing. The game employs a stamina-based system where every action—attacking, blocking, dodging, sprinting—consumes stamina. Managing your stamina effectively is crucial, as running out of stamina during a fight leaves you vulnerable and unable to defend yourself.

Enemy AI is sophisticated and aggressive. Opponents will flank you, call for reinforcements, exploit your mistakes, and adapt to your tactics. Unlike many action RPGs where you can button-mash your way through encounters, Of Ash and Steel requires you to study enemy attack patterns, identify telegraphs, and time your defensive and offensive actions precisely.

The variety of weapon types—from quick daggers to heavy two-handed weapons—each have distinct movesets, speeds, and stamina costs. Learning the strengths and weaknesses of each weapon type against different enemy classes is essential. A weapon effective against lightly-armored bandits may be nearly useless against heavily-armored knights or fast-moving beasts. Equipment degradation means your weapons and armor will break over time, forcing you to carry backups or risk being caught without effective gear.

Deep Crafting and Resource Economy

The crafting system in Of Ash and Steel is extensive and integral to progression. Nearly every item you need for survival— weapons, armor, ammunition, medical supplies, food, tools—must be crafted from raw materials gathered in the world. The game features hundreds of crafting recipes ranging from simple bandages to complex alchemical concoctions and masterwork equipment.

Materials come in varying qualities, and the quality of your crafting materials directly impacts the effectiveness of the resulting item. A sword crafted from high-quality steel will be more durable and deal more damage than one made from inferior materials. This creates a compelling gameplay loop of seeking out rare, high-quality materials while making do with common resources for everyday needs.

Crafting itself has a skill component. As you craft more items of a particular type, you improve your proficiency, eventually unlocking advanced recipes and increasing the quality of crafted goods. Specializing in certain crafting disciplines can significantly impact your playstyle—a character focused on alchemy might survive through potions and poisons, while a blacksmithing specialist maintains superior weapons and armor.

Unguided Exploration and Discovery

Of Ash and Steel features a large, interconnected open world filled with ruins, dungeons, wilderness areas, and hidden locations. Unlike many modern RPGs, there is no minimap cluttered with icons, no quest markers pointing you toward objectives, and no glowing trails to follow. Navigation relies on environmental landmarks, the position of the sun and stars, and your own memory of the terrain.

The world is dense with environmental storytelling. Abandoned campsites tell stories of previous travelers' fates, ruined buildings contain clues about the world's history, and the placement of enemies and hazards creates natural narratives. Exploration is rewarded with valuable loot, secret areas, unique encounters, and pieces of lore that gradually reveal the backstory of this fallen civilization.

Danger lurks around every corner, and not every area is accessible at all times. Some locations are locked behind puzzles, others require specific items or abilities to access, and some are simply too dangerous for low-level characters. Learning which areas to explore immediately and which to mark for later return is part of the strategic decision-making that defines the game.

Character Progression and Customization

Character development in Of Ash and Steel is flexible and build-diverse. The game uses a classless progression system where your character's capabilities are determined by how you allocate attribute points across the five core attributes:Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, Insight, and Fortitude. Want to be a heavily-armored tank? Invest in Strength and Fortitude. Prefer ranged combat and critical hits? Focus on Dexterity and Insight. See the Character Creation Guide for details.

Skills improve through use, creating organic progression that rewards specialization. The more you use swords, the better you become with them. The more you craft armor, the higher quality armor you can produce. This system encourages players to commit to specific playstyles while still allowing for hybrid builds.

Equipment plays a massive role in your character's effectiveness. Beyond simple stat bonuses, different armor types affect your mobility, stamina regeneration, and noise level. Heavy plate armor provides excellent protection but slows you down and makes stealth nearly impossible, while light leather armor allows for quick movement and silent approaches but offers minimal defense.

World Design and Atmosphere

The world of Of Ash and Steel is a grim, post-apocalyptic landscape where civilization has collapsed and nature has begun reclaiming the ruins of humanity. The art direction emphasizes desolation, decay, and danger, with muted color palettes, oppressive atmosphere, and environmental design that constantly reinforces the theme of a world on the brink of oblivion.

Day-night cycles and dynamic weather significantly impact gameplay. Nighttime is genuinely dangerous, with limited visibility forcing reliance on torches and other light sources that can attract unwanted attention. Rain makes surfaces slippery and can extinguish fires, while fog reduces visibility and creates opportunities for ambushes. The environment is as much an enemy as any creature you encounter.

The sound design enhances the oppressive atmosphere. Distant howls warn of approaching predators, the creaking of old structures puts you on edge in dungeons, and the haunting ambient soundtrack builds tension during exploration. Audio cues are crucial for survival, alerting you to hidden dangers and nearby resources.

Single-Player Experience

Of Ash and Steel is a single-player only experience. The game does not include multiplayer or cooperative modes. You face the challenges of Greyshaft Island alone, which intensifies the survival experience and makes every decision critically important. The lack of multiplayer reinforces the game's themes of isolation and self-reliance in a hostile world.

Source: Steam Official Store Page

Who Should Play Of Ash and Steel?

Of Ash and Steel is designed for players who appreciate challenge, strategic depth, and immersive simulation. If you enjoy games like Dark Souls, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, The Long Dark, or classic hardcore RPGs, this game will likely appeal to you. It rewards patience, planning, and perseverance while punishing carelessness and impatience.

However, this game is not for everyone. If you prefer guided experiences with clear objectives, forgiving difficulty, or fast-paced action, Of Ash and Steel may frustrate rather than entertain. The game demands time investment to learn its systems and a willingness to accept failure as part of the learning process.

Current State and Future Development

Of Ash and Steel officially released on November 24, 2025 and is no longer in early access. The developers continue actively adding content, balancing systems, and responding to community feedback. Regular updates introduce new areas, enemies, items, and mechanics while refining existing features. The development roadmap includes additional content, expanded systems, and improvements that maintain the game's hardcore nature.

Source: Steam Official Store Page