Gord is a fascinating knot of complex survival systems and Slavic lore

polygon.com:

Three warriors return from an expedition that left with twice as many. They bathe to tend to their wounds, they drink mead to calm their nerves, and they return to their families to rest until morning. Physically and mentally rejuvenated, they congregate at the temple in the center of the gord, where they are joined by two new archers and a scout. They look toward the perpetual darkness that plagues the land around them, and together they venture into the unknown — once more unto the breach.

Gord, which was originally pitched as a horror-strategy game, but later revised to be an adventure-strategy title with survival and horror elements, is the systemically dense and highly intelligent debut project from Polish studio Covenant. The team includes veterans from many high-profile local outfits like CD Projekt Red, 11 bit studios, Flying Wild Hog, and elsewhere. It shows; given what I saw at Gamescom 2022, there is definitely sufficient elbow room for Gord to not just make an entrance in the scene, but to barrel through competitors and cement itself as something truly great.

The events of Gord transpire in a world that is afflicted by eternal darkness. Your task is to lead the Tribe of Dawn south, uniting the lands you encounter on behalf of a shady monarch. In doing so, you will learn about your companions’ strengths, weaknesses, and personalities as you construct your own gord and build a society within it, which will grow as you improve its amenities, fortify its battlements, and support its inhabitants as they begin to have families of their own.

What’s interesting about all of the above is that every narrative element of Gord is informed by a corresponding system, and vice versa. For example, the fact the world is in