Beyond the Grove from Not a Duck Games combines RTS strategy with autobattler mechanics in a charming roguelite where you command mushroom warriors and elemental golems to fight mysterious corruption. The self-funded indie game launched November 4 with hand-drawn art and live-recorded music, earning a 9/10 review from Gaming Cypher just days after release. For a five-person team with no publisher backing, that is an impressive achievement that proves you do not need massive budgets to create strategic depth and visual charm.
Mushroom Warriors and Elemental Golems Save the World
You play as Finley, a Grove Keeper who happens to be a frog wearing an adorable mushroom hat. When meteors crash into the grove and spawn corrupted creatures, Finley takes it upon himself to defend the land blessed by the Mother Mushroom. The premise sounds simple, but the execution creates surprising depth through its cycle of strategy and action.
Gameplay revolves around tactical rounds where you place rally flags to direct your automatically spawning mushroom troops. You cannot move Finley directly since the Grove Keeper stays rooted in place. Instead, you craft golems from seven different elements, position your forces strategically, and watch battles unfold in real-time until you get another chance to adapt. This creates the feel of real-time strategy without the frantic 300 actions-per-minute stress that makes competitive RTS games inaccessible to casual players.
What separates Beyond the Grove from typical autobattlers is how much control you retain despite the automated combat. You continuously refine army composition, adjust rally point positioning, and experiment with over 50 distinct golem combinations created by mixing elemental types. Each golem brings unique strengths, weaknesses, and special attacks that counter specific enemy types. Learning which combinations work against different corrupted forces becomes the strategic core that rewards experimentation over rote memorization.
Over 100 Blessings Create Build Diversity
Between battles, you unlock blessings that function like passive upgrades in traditional roguelites. With over 100 unique blessings available, the combinations create exponentially complex build possibilities. Some blessings enhance your mushroom troops directly by increasing spawn rates or combat effectiveness. Others modify golem behavior, improve resource generation, or provide defensive bonuses that help you survive overwhelming enemy assaults.
The roguelite structure means failure is not permanent setback. When enemies overwhelm your forces, you retreat to your grove and regroup. However, you keep knowledge and some accumulated power from previous runs. This creates natural progression where each attempt teaches you more about enemy patterns, effective golem combinations, and blessing synergies that turn losing strategies into winning builds.
Reviewers specifically praised how the game gradually introduces strategic concepts rather than dumping tutorial screens on players. Early battles serve as organic tutorials where you learn mechanics through experimentation. Later encounters ramp up to genuinely challenging situations that require careful planning, adaptation, and understanding of the complex interactions between elements, blessings, and enemy compositions.
Hand-Drawn Art and Generative Music
What immediately grabs attention is Beyond the Grove’s visual presentation. The entire game features hand-drawn artwork with a charming aesthetic that makes mushroom warfare look adorable rather than grim. Character designs burst with personality, from Finley’s expressive frog face to the varied elemental golems that each have distinct visual identities matching their combat roles.
The music deserves special mention because it uses a generative system where player actions add new instruments to the soundtrack. One reviewer noted that knowing their decisions affected the music actually influenced gameplay choices, creating an unusual emotional connection between strategic planning and audio feedback. The developers composed and recorded everything in-house, proudly stating no AI involvement in their creative process.
This commitment to handcrafted content shows in every detail. The battlefields feature environmental storytelling through background elements that change based on battle outcomes. The Mother Mushroom’s blessing radiates through the grove in subtle visual ways. Even the corruption spreading beyond your home base has distinctive visual language that makes threats immediately recognizable during heated tactical moments.
The Five-Person Team Making Weekly Updates
Not a Duck Games consists of five developers who are entirely self-funded without publisher backing. This makes their achievement even more impressive. Creating an RTS-inspired game with this much polish, depth, and content typically requires teams ten times their size. The fact they delivered hand-drawn art, live-recorded music, over 50 unique golems, 100+ blessings, and robust roguelite systems demonstrates serious technical skill and project management discipline.
The team launched in Early Access with a commitment to weekly updates based on community feedback. This collaborative development approach treats early adopters as partners shaping the final product rather than just customers waiting for delivery. Players can try the free demo on Steam to determine if the gameplay appeals before committing money, and the developers actively engage with feedback through their community channels.
The Early Access roadmap has not been fully detailed yet, but the weekly update cadence suggests substantial content additions and refinements coming based on player data and requests. Common feedback from early reviews mentions wanting more control over golem positioning and better visual differentiation for special unit spawns, both areas the developers can address through iterative updates.
Why RTS Veterans and Newcomers Both Love It
Beyond the Grove succeeds because it captures what makes real-time strategy compelling while removing barriers that intimidate newcomers. You get the satisfaction of commanding armies, making tactical decisions, and watching your strategies unfold in real-time. However, you avoid the stress of managing 50 different hotkeys, executing frame-perfect build orders, or competing against players who practice eight hours daily.
The autobattler foundation means combat happens automatically once you set your plan. This gives you time to think, experiment, and adapt without the pressure of constant micro-management. The roguelite structure encourages experimentation because failure teaches valuable lessons you carry forward. The blessing system creates those breakthrough moments where your build suddenly clicks and you steamroll content that previously felt impossible.
One reviewer mentioned finding themselves mentally replaying battles during work meetings and doodling mushrooms in their notebook. That level of engagement after just a few hours demonstrates how effectively the game hooks players. The combination of strategic depth, charming presentation, and steady progression creates the addictive one-more-run mentality that defines successful roguelites.
Standing Out in a Crowded Genre
Autobattlers exploded in popularity after Teamfight Tactics and Dota Underlords proved the concept worked. Most examples focus on collecting and positioning champions from existing MOBA rosters. Beyond the Grove differentiates itself through the RTS-inspired rally flag system, the elemental golem crafting that replaces champion gacha mechanics, and the roguelite campaign structure that creates narrative stakes beyond pure competitive ladder climbing.
The self-contained single-player experience also separates it from multiplayer-focused competitors. You can pause, save, and return without coordinating with other humans or worrying about disconnects ruining matches. This makes Beyond the Grove perfect for players who want strategic depth without the social pressure or time commitment that competitive autobattlers demand.
FAQs About Beyond the Grove
When did Beyond the Grove release?
Beyond the Grove launched in Steam Early Access on November 4, 2025. The developers plan weekly updates throughout the Early Access period, with no announced date for the full 1.0 release.
How much does Beyond the Grove cost?
The game is available on Steam Early Access with a 20 percent discount. The exact pricing was not disclosed in sources, but a free demo is available for players who want to try before buying.
Is Beyond the Grove multiplayer or single-player?
Beyond the Grove is a single-player experience focused on roguelite campaign progression. There are no multiplayer or competitive modes announced.
How many golems can you create in the game?
The game features over 50 distinct golems created by combining seven different elemental types. Each combination produces unique strengths, weaknesses, and special attacks that counter specific enemy types.
Do you need RTS experience to enjoy Beyond the Grove?
No. The game is designed to provide RTS-style strategy without requiring high actions-per-minute execution. The autobattler foundation means combat happens automatically once you set your strategy, making it accessible to players who normally avoid competitive RTS games.
What makes the music in Beyond the Grove special?
The soundtrack uses a generative system where player actions add new instruments to the music. Everything was composed and recorded in-house by the development team with no AI involvement.
How big is the development team?
Not a Duck Games consists of five developers who are entirely self-funded without publisher backing. The team handles programming, art, music, and all other aspects of development internally.
Can I try the game before buying?
Yes, a free demo is available on the Steam store page. The demo gives a substantial preview of the core gameplay loop, golem crafting system, and blessing mechanics.
Conclusion
Beyond the Grove proves that small indie teams with clear vision and strong execution can create experiences that rival much larger productions. The combination of accessible RTS-inspired gameplay, deep roguelite systems, charming hand-drawn presentation, and innovative generative music creates something that feels fresh despite borrowing from established genres. Not a Duck Games built exactly the game they wanted to play, and the 9/10 review score just days after Early Access launch suggests they are not alone in loving what they created. For players who want strategic depth without RTS stress, cute mushroom armies without shallow gameplay, or roguelite progression with meaningful choices, Beyond the Grove delivers on all fronts. The free demo removes all risk from trying it, and the weekly update commitment means the game will only improve as the developers incorporate community feedback. Whether you are an RTS veteran looking for something more relaxed or a strategy newcomer intimidated by competitive multiplayer, commanding mushroom warriors and elemental golems against mysterious corruption might be exactly the tactical experience you have been craving.