Feudums has been in development for over 10 years, self-funded by solo developer Matyas Suranyi (Mat) at Kalamona Studios in what might be one of indie gaming’s most ambitious passion projects. This persistent, tick-based multiplayer grand strategy game throws you into a shared medieval sandbox where you control a noble house competing with thousands of other real players. The twist is Feudums explicitly promises Fair to Play rather than Free to Play, rejecting pay-to-win mechanics in favor of actual strategic skill determining success.
The game blends Crusader Kings drama with competitive MMO tension and 4X depth while stripping out grind, wallet warfare, and predatory monetization. A regularly updated alpha demo is available now on Steam and Itch.io, with the full release targeted for 2026. The hand-painted aesthetics and design philosophy deliberately evoke 90s strategy classics like Lords of the Realm, Genesia, and Defender of the Crown, filtered through modern sensibilities about what makes competitive multiplayer actually fun rather than just profitable.
What Makes Feudums Different
Feudums combines turn-based 4X gameplay with grand strategy and MMO elements in persistent worlds where thousands of players inhabit the same map. You start as a small noble house controlling a single feudum and must forge your legacy through seasons of medieval life that impact everything from economy to warfare. The core systems revolve around feudal vassalage – making oaths, forging alliances with vassals and political partners, and navigating whether treachery or loyalty leads to power or downfall.
Each game lets you play a different character with unique traits and goals, but every action contributes to your house’s legacy that influences future generations. This roguelite progression means death isn’t failure but another step toward unlocking rare achievements and building your noble house’s reputation across multiple playthroughs. Your coat of arms literally reflects your accomplishments through the intricate heraldry system that lets you craft your story visually through shields and banners.
The asynchronous multiplayer design means you don’t need to be online constantly. The game progresses in ticks, similar to browser-based strategy games, but with far deeper systems and no artificial waiting timers designed to sell speed-ups. Idler-friendly mechanics help casual players stay competitive against hardcore grinders, addressing one of persistent multiplayer’s biggest problems – how do you balance players with 2 hours per week against those with 40?
The Vassalage System Nobody Else Does Right
Mat argues that most medieval strategy games either ignore vassalage entirely or implement it poorly. Feudums treats the feudal hierarchy as the core system rather than window dressing, letting players give away parts of their lands to vassals in exchange for services and taxes. This creates a political layer where being someone’s vassal isn’t necessarily losing – a skilled vassal can exploit their liege’s weaknesses, betray them at the perfect moment, or simply enjoy carving out their own domain without the pressure of ruling everything.
The system solves persistent multiplayer’s notorious late-join problem. New players can join as vassals to established lords, contributing meaningfully without needing months to catch up. Since feudal relationships create zero-sum dynamics, adding a competent vassal strengthens your position but also introduces someone who might challenge you. The game mechanics prevent anyone from succeeding long-term if they totally neglect building their feudal society, rewarding both lieges and vassals for maintaining productive relationships.
Every agreement can be broken. The player-to-player diplomacy system supports complex negotiations, intrigue, misinformation, and betrayal without rigid alliance mechanics. Your reputation matters across games as your noble house builds its legacy, but nothing stops you from stabbing allies in the back if the strategic opportunity presents itself. This creates the tension and mind games of competitive persistent multiplayers without the soul-crushing grind.
Seasons, Warfare, and Medieval Simulation
Seasonal cycles affect every aspect of medieval life in Feudums. Your economy shifts with the harvest, warfare becomes more difficult during winter, and planning around the calendar separates skilled rulers from those who just spam armies. You must guide your serfs, enhance and specialize regions, launch raids, and defend against threats while managing resources that fluctuate based on environmental factors beyond your control.
The warfare system lets you recruit mercenaries, maintain a standing army, or rally feudal forces for campaigns. Coordination with allies matters enormously – you can’t just throw numbers at problems when every opponent is a real player weighing your every move. Terrain and tactics determine outcomes more than sheer military spending, though obviously having more troops helps. The goal is rewarding strategic thinking rather than whoever grinds the most or spends the most on shortcuts.
Combat avoids micromanagement overload through delegation and automation systems. You can control every detail if that’s your preference, but the game provides tools to automate routine decisions and focus on the strategic layer. This addresses a common complaint about 4X games where late-game empire management becomes tedious clicking through hundreds of similar decisions. Let your vassals and advisors handle the details while you focus on big-picture conquest and diplomacy.
Fair to Play Means Actually Fair
Mat published a detailed monetization strategy in 2021 explaining why Feudums rejects typical Free-to-Play models. The core promise is simple – Feudums will be winnable without spending money and nobody can purchase anything that provides in-game advantages. No premium currency that unlocks better troops. No pay-to-speed-up timers. No VIP systems that give paying players better resource generation. Every player has equal access to all content and features in multiplayer regardless of spending.
This matters because competitive multiplayer with paid advantages isn’t honest. Free-to-Play with pay-to-win mechanics is just predatory – either you spend or you lose, making the free part a lie. Mat argues these player-milking schemes poison communities and create toxic environments where skill doesn’t matter as much as wallet size. For a persistent MMO that requires a healthy, engaged community to function long-term, building trust through fair monetization is the smart business play.
So how does Feudums fund development? The game will remain free with voluntary cosmetic purchases – custom heraldry designs, map skins, portrait frames, and similar vanity items that don’t affect gameplay. Optional supporter tiers provide cosmetic rewards and development access without granting power. The developer is transparent about costs – developing and maintaining the game is expensive even though playing is free. The bet is that a loyal community appreciating fair treatment will voluntarily support development rather than being exploited through manipulative monetization.
10 Years of Self-Funded Development
Feudums represents Mat’s dream project as both a 4X grand strategy nerd and MMO strategy enthusiast. He’s been self-funding development for over a decade, building the game he wants to play rather than chasing trends or investor demands. The lengthy development reflects the ambition – creating stable multiplayer infrastructure supporting thousands of simultaneous players requires serious backend engineering that most indie developers outsource or avoid entirely.
The community-driven development approach draws inspiration from Amplitude Studios’ Games2Gether and Mat’s own experience building text-based RPG MUSHes in the 90s and early 2000s. Regular polls shape development priorities based on player feedback. The alpha demo receives consistent updates – over 32 major releases excluding patches – with the latest refresh happening just days before the December 2025 Reddit post. This isn’t vaporware or an abandoned project slowly dying in Early Access limbo.
Current features include heraldry customization, online multiplayer, modding support, seasonal economy, warfare systems, and idle mechanics. The community-created in-game guide helps new players navigate the complexity. Based on feedback, the next major development focus is implementing player-to-player vassalage and siege mechanics. The transparent development process lets potential players see exactly what exists now versus what’s coming, avoiding the hype-then-disappointment cycle that plagues many crowdfunded games.
The Lords of the Realm Spiritual Successor
Lords of the Realm II launched in 1996 and became a cult classic among strategy fans for its medieval simulation depth. You managed counties, balanced food production against military needs, handled seasonal economies, and engaged in both strategic map gameplay and tactical real-time battles. The sequel in 2004 disappointed many fans by oversimplifying systems and focusing too heavily on arcade-style battles rather than strategic depth.
Feudums channels that classic Lords of the Realm vibe – the deliberate pacing, the emphasis on resource management and seasonal planning, the satisfaction of slowly building your realm from nothing into a powerhouse. The hand-painted aesthetics deliberately evoke early strategy game manuals and artwork rather than chasing modern photorealistic trends. This nostalgic presentation combined with modern quality-of-life features and multiplayer infrastructure targets players who remember when strategy games trusted you to manage complexity.
Other influences include Knights of Honor, Crusader Kings (particularly the dynasty and legacy systems), and narrative-driven hybrids like Defender of the Crown and the original Dune by Cryo Interactive. The goal is blending the best aspects of classic strategy with lessons learned from decades of genre evolution. No AI predictability – every opponent is a real human making decisions you can’t perfectly anticipate. No end-game grind where you’re just clicking through turns because you already won mathematically but need another 50 turns to officially finish.
Single Player and Modding Support
While Feudums focuses on multiplayer, a single-player campaign mode is planned for players who prefer offline experiences or want to learn systems without competing against thousands of veterans. Private matches let you play with just friends rather than jumping into the full MMO environment. The modding support opens the game to community customization, letting players tweak rules, create custom scenarios, or build total conversions.
The game runs fully functional on Steam Deck despite being designed primarily for PC, though Mat notes some user experience caveats. The turn-based structure and asynchronous multiplayer make it perfect for playing on handheld devices – you can take your turn, close the game, and come back hours later without missing anything critical. This flexibility accommodates different play styles rather than demanding constant attention like typical MMOs.
Platform support includes Windows with Mac and Linux builds planned. The Unity engine provides cross-platform flexibility, and the relatively modest graphical requirements (hand-painted 2D visuals) mean it should run smoothly on older hardware. No release date beyond 2026 has been announced, but the regularly updated demo suggests development is progressing steadily rather than stalling out.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Feudums release?
Scheduled for 2026 on PC via Steam. No specific date announced. The alpha demo is playable now with regular updates, giving players early access to work-in-progress builds while development continues.
Is Feudums really free with no pay-to-win?
Yes, the developer promises Fair to Play where every player has equal access to all gameplay content and features. Nobody can buy advantages. Monetization comes from optional cosmetic purchases like custom heraldry and supporter tiers that provide vanity rewards only.
Can I play solo or is it multiplayer only?
The main focus is persistent online multiplayer with thousands of players, but a single-player campaign mode is planned. You can also host private matches with just friends rather than joining the full MMO servers.
How does the vassalage system work?
You can give parts of your lands to other players who become your vassals, providing services and taxes in exchange. Vassals can betray lieges, and new players can join established games as vassals without being hopelessly behind. The feudal hierarchy is the core system rather than a minor feature.
Is this like Crusader Kings or Civilization?
It blends elements from both – the dynasty and legacy systems from Crusader Kings, the 4X gameplay of expanding and managing your realm like Civilization, plus persistent MMO mechanics where every opponent is a real player. Think Crusader Kings meets online competitive strategy.
How long has this been in development?
Over 10 years, self-funded by solo developer Mat at Kalamona Studios. The lengthy timeline reflects the ambition of building stable multiplayer infrastructure supporting thousands of simultaneous players as an indie team.
Will there be mobile versions?
Not confirmed, though the game is built in Unity which supports mobile. The Steam Deck compatibility shows it works on handheld devices. Mobile platforms were listed on some early materials but current focus is PC release first.
Where can I try the demo?
Available now on Steam and Itch.io. The alpha demo receives regular updates and focuses on multiplayer gameplay. It’s playable but still early, so expect bugs and incomplete features as development continues.
Why This One Matters
Feudums represents the kind of ambitious indie project that either becomes a cult classic or collapses under its own scope. A solo developer self-funding 10+ years of development on a persistent multiplayer strategy game is borderline insane from a business perspective. Most rational people would have given up or compromised the vision years ago. The fact Mat is still pushing toward release with regular demo updates suggests genuine passion rather than a quick cash grab.
The Fair to Play commitment matters enormously. The Free-to-Play model has become so toxic with predatory monetization that many players automatically avoid those games. Feudums is betting that transparency about costs and fair treatment of players builds the loyal community necessary for a persistent MMO to thrive long-term. If successful, it could demonstrate an alternative business model for competitive multiplayer games beyond pay-to-win or $70 premium pricing.
The vassalage system and asynchronous multiplayer solve real problems in persistent strategy games. Late-join disadvantage, constant grind requirements, and power gaps between paying and non-paying players kill communities. Feudums addresses these issues through feudal hierarchy letting new players join meaningfully as vassals, tick-based progression accommodating casual schedules, and strict fairness ensuring skill determines success. Whether the execution matches the ambition remains to be seen.
Download the demo on Steam or Itch.io now if medieval grand strategy with persistent multiplayer interests you. The alpha state means rough edges and incomplete features, but you can see the vision taking shape. Wishlist the game if you want to support Fair to Play monetization and indie developers building the games they want to play rather than what’s most profitable. And follow Kalamona Studios for development updates leading toward the 2026 release – after 10 years of work, Mat deserves an audience willing to give this unusual project a fair shot.