The guys at Madmind Studio, no strangers to the darker side of gaming with titles like Succubus (2021) and Paranoid (2023), are set to unleash hell with their forthcoming release of Agony: Lords of Hell.
Agony: Lords of Hell tells the story of Nimrod, newly crowned king of the underworld, and his demonic ally Vydija. With the departure of Hell’s rightful rulers, a fierce war for the throne erupted. The lords of Hell, each governing their own domain, began assembling vast armies of demons to eliminate those who threatened their power. Our heroes must not only defend their position but also expand their empire and conquer enemy territories to secure their dominance.
The game takes a healthy dose of inspiration from the classic god-game, Populous, released 35 years ago. As Nimrod players manage the city and build armies. As Vydija they will lead the charge in battle. Vydija has the power to seduce and incorporate martyrs, who do not belong to any faction, into her army making her presence in battle essential.
One Hell of a Delay
Development is currently halted on the latest instalment in the Agony series despite a successful Kickstarter campaign which saw Madmind Studio raise over €72000. The last update posted on the Kickstarter page states:
Due to an unexpected increase in demand for personnel across our other projects, we find ourselves in a challenging position that necessitates a temporary halt in the production of Agony: Lords of Hell. This decision was not made lightly…
Kickstarter – Agony: Lords of Hell
We are fully committed to resuming production of Agony: Lords of Hell next year, following the release of Tormentor.
This means we’re not going to see the release of Agony: Lords of Hell for some time yet. Tormentor is still in development with a release date on the Steam Store page simply saying ‘2024’. Madmind Studio have committed to ensuring the development and release of Tormentor is completed before development of Agony: Lords of Hell can continue.
Indie developers typically won’t go to Kickstarter until they have something viable already available, and in this case the campaign was launched alongside a playable demo; Alpha 0.666 version. This suggests the game has made significant progress on it’s development journey. Take a look at the twenty-five minute gameplay video below showcasing combat, the cel shaded unit models, locations and the occasionally dark-comedic interactions between Nimrod and Vydija.
Ambitious Goals
Agony: Lords of Hell is ambitious in its scope. When asked ‘why choose Kickstarter?’ they said:
GameTyrant
In Agony: Lords of Hell, our ambition is to do the impossible – to create not one but four other worlds that describe the world’s largest, most popular religions. Completely different visions of Hell, found in the holy books of individual religions, will require the preparation of many assets, unique mechanics for each faction, dozens of new characters, and beautiful scenery. So, to achieve our vision, we would appreciate your support.
Thanks to the Kickstarter campaign, we will not only be able to fulfil our ambitious plans but also enable players to decide how big and extensive the Agony Lords of Hell project will be. The game is powered by Unreal Engine 5, supporting all the latest technologies, including the destruction of the environment based on the “Chaos” technology, a dynamic day and night system, the Niagara system, and many more.
Thanks, in part, to the success of the Kickstarter campaign, Agony: Lords of Hell is positioned to deliver players a detailed game universe which blurs the boundaries between fantasy and mythology. Four unique worlds, each designed to represent that most vivid and dramatic interpretations of Hell as depicted in the sacred texts of the world’s major religions, will be available to fight over. This ambition requires the creation of a vast array of environments and assets. Each faction, according to Madmind Studio, will have a unique and distinctive character.
Alongside Nimrod and Vydija, Madmind Studio have revealed Yama and Kali, representatives of the Hindu faith. The other planned factions remain unknown, but from what Madmind Studio have planned we can expect to see significant differences between the regions and factions of Hell. Each will have their own unique lore and gameplay mechanics.
Main Features
Agony: Lords of Hell will offer a comprehensive array of features that will appeal to real-time strategy gamers:
- Construction of New Buildings – Build and upgrade various structures to fortify and enhance your cities.
- Gaining and Arming New Followers – Recruit and equip followers to strengthen your forces and expand your influence.
- Strengthening and Developing Cities – Use collected resources to develop and fortify your domains, ensuring their resilience.
- Spreading the Cult – Expand your influence by spreading the worship of your character and cultivating a loyal following.
- Ruling Over Demons and Humans – Command both mortal and demonic subjects to enforce your will and achieve your objectives.
- Conquering Territories – Expand your empire by invading and subjugating new lands, increasing your dominion.
- Invoking Divine Spells – Utilize powerful spells to gain a strategic advantage and turn the tide of battle.
- Battling the Lords of Hell – Engage in epic confrontations with the formidable lords ruling different regions of Hell.
It has the potential to be a deep and engaging RTS experience, blending city-building elements with intense real time battles. Balancing resource management, tactical combat and the special abilities of unique demonic characters will be necessary to secure dominion over Hell.
Agony: Lords of [Development] Hell?
The pause in development has not had the negative reaction one might have expected. Madmind Studios has a cult following, with 800,000 players experiencing Agony and Agony UNRATED. There has been some frustration, and Kickstarter backers have as much right as anyone to feel aggrieved by the delay.
[The campaign’s target was reached in April 2023, the project had an initial estimated release date of October 2024, but in February 2024 backers learned that it would be at least 2025 before they could enjoy the benefits of their faith in Madmind Studio]
Yet Madmind Studio have been open and transparent in their communication with their supporters and deserve some leeway for that. Let us hope that the delay doesn’t put Agony: Lords of Hell through Development Hell.
The premise behind Agony: Lords of Hell sounds intriguing enough that it should be on your Steam Wishlist. Combining city building with real time strategy and doing the whole thing in Hell is at the very least a unique concept for a game. We shall be watching this one with interest.
