Of Ash and Steel launches November 24, 2025 on Steam and GOG after a brief delay from its original November 6 release date. This indie open-world RPG from first-time developer Fire & Frost Studios promises a throwback to early 2000s RPGs like Gothic and The Witcher, complete with no quest markers, skill-based progression, and survival mechanics that punish careless play. The problem is early reviews suggest the game launched with serious technical issues that may require multiple patches before it lives up to its ambitious design goals.
Gothic Meets The Witcher in a Low Fantasy World
Of Ash and Steel drops players onto the Kingdom of the Seven, an island colony that’s fallen into chaos and violence. You play as Tristian, a cartographer who starts the game literally puking on a beach, stripped of everything and forced to survive in an unforgiving world. This isn’t a chosen one narrative where you’re destined for greatness. You’re just some random person trying to make it through each day, scrounging for food, patching up wounds, and learning basic combat skills from scratch.
The setup deliberately echoes Gothic’s nameless hero washing up on a prison colony, powerless and forced to earn respect through hard work. Fire & Frost Studios openly describes their game as “the favorite child of Gothic and The Witcher,” blending the former’s harsh survival elements and skill-based progression with the latter’s dialogue choices and branching questlines. The game runs on Unreal Engine 4 and aims to capture the atmosphere of those classic RPGs while incorporating modern conveniences like tutorials and clearer UI.
No Hand Holding, No Quest Markers
The defining feature of Of Ash and Steel is what it deliberately leaves out. There are no quest markers telling you exactly where to go. NPCs give you directions through dialogue, describing landmarks and locations you need to find yourself. The map starts completely grayed out and unusable until you find, buy, or craft the proper materials to make it functional. Even your character stats matter for conversations, with high intellect or other attributes unlocking entirely new dialogue branches and quest paths.
This design philosophy extends to every system in the game. You need to find teachers scattered across the island to learn new skills once you meet the attribute requirements. Workbenches, forges, and sharpening wheels let you craft and maintain your own equipment rather than relying on merchants. Combat uses three different stances with unique movesets depending on weapon type, from agile rapiers focused on bleeding damage to heavy two-handed axes for devastating strikes. The game expects you to experiment, explore, and figure things out rather than following objective markers.
Survival Systems With Real Consequences
Combat in Of Ash and Steel starts deliberately clunky because Tristian literally has never fought before. His early attacks are slow and awkward, requiring careful timing of blocks and parries to survive even basic encounters. As you gain combat skills, movement becomes more confident and new abilities unlock, but the game never turns into mindless button mashing. You need to stay aware of positioning, stamina management, and enemy patterns throughout the entire experience.
The wound system adds another layer of danger. Minor injuries can be patched up with basic supplies, but serious wounds stack debilitating penalties that weaken your character until properly treated. Hunger, thirst, and other survival needs demand constant attention. Being broke isn’t a temporary early-game phase, it’s a persistent challenge that forces creative solutions. Crafting your own gear often proves more effective than scraping together enough money to buy from merchants.
The Technical Reality Check
Here’s where things get problematic. Fire & Frost delayed the game from November 6 to November 24 after discovering technical issues during Steam Next Fest testing in October. The developer acknowledged needing extra time to fix problems that emerged from player feedback and internal testing. Unfortunately, that three-week delay apparently wasn’t enough to solve everything.
Checkpoint Gaming published a scathing review calling the game “barely functional due to a plague of bugs, unplayable performance issues, and systems that barely hold together.” COGconnected titled their review “Stumbling Through an Open World,” highlighting technical problems alongside the game’s more interesting design choices. Multiple YouTube previews from earlier builds mentioned rough edges and unpolished systems that needed work before launch.
The positive side is that when systems work as intended, Of Ash and Steel delivers compelling old-school RPG gameplay. One YouTuber praised how progression feels genuinely earned, with interconnected systems that reward experimentation and careful play. Another highlighted the surprising amount of voice acting and generally solid delivery from the cast. The core vision is clear, it’s just buried under technical issues that indie developers often struggle to resolve with limited resources and small teams.
What Fire & Frost Is Trying to Accomplish
Fire & Frost Studios consists of a small passionate team making their first game, led by studio head Victor Kondakov. Their stated goal is reviving the spirit of 2000s RPGs while avoiding the dated frustrations that made those games inaccessible to modern audiences. They want exploration to feel rewarding again, with curiosity driving progression instead of following waypoints on a minimap. They want choices to matter, with stats and dialogue decisions opening or closing entire quest branches.
The game features extensive character customization across three skill branches: Survival, Craftsmanship, and War. How you allocate attribute points and which skills you prioritize fundamentally changes how NPCs view your character and what opportunities become available. The developers emphasize that you’re not a legendary hero by default. You start as nothing and build yourself up through determination and smart choices, earning every bit of progress through actual gameplay rather than cutscene power fantasies.
The Demo Is Still Available
For anyone curious but hesitant about the $30 asking price and concerning reviews, good news. The Steam Next Fest demo remains available even after the event ended. This lets potential players experience the opening hours firsthand to judge if Of Ash and Steel’s design philosophy clicks with them. The demo includes character creation, the harsh early survival phase, introductions to major systems like combat stances and crafting, and enough content to determine if the no-quest-marker exploration works for you.
Several content creators who played the demo came away impressed despite acknowledging the rough presentation. They emphasized how different the experience feels compared to modern AAA RPGs that guide players through every objective. Of Ash and Steel demands attention and engagement, punishing autopilot gameplay while rewarding players who read dialogue carefully, explore thoroughly, and plan their character builds strategically. Whether that sounds appealing or frustrating depends entirely on what type of RPG experience you’re seeking.
Launch Day and Beyond
Of Ash and Steel launches November 24, 2025 priced at approximately $30 on both Steam and GOG. That’s considerably cheaper than the typical $60 to $70 price tags on modern RPGs, though still a meaningful investment for an indie game from an unproven studio. Publisher tinyBuild has experience bringing indie titles to market, but ultimately the game’s success depends on whether Fire & Frost can quickly patch the most serious technical issues through post-launch updates.
The trajectory of indie RPGs like this often depends heavily on launch reception and developer responsiveness. Games that launch rough but get consistent patches addressing community feedback can build devoted followings over time. Games that launch broken and never get fixed disappear quickly despite interesting ideas. Of Ash and Steel has the ambitious design and clear vision to potentially become a cult classic among hardcore RPG fans. The question is whether Fire & Frost has the resources and expertise to realize that potential or if technical limitations will sink the project.
FAQs
When does Of Ash and Steel release?
Of Ash and Steel launches November 24, 2025 on PC via Steam and GOG. The game was originally scheduled for November 6 but was delayed to address technical issues discovered during testing.
Who is developing Of Ash and Steel?
Fire & Frost Studios is developing Of Ash and Steel as their debut game. The studio is led by Victor Kondakov and consists of a small passionate team inspired by classic RPGs from the 2000s. Publisher tinyBuild is handling publishing duties.
What games inspired Of Ash and Steel?
The developers describe Of Ash and Steel as heavily inspired by Gothic and The Witcher series, calling it “the favorite child” of those two franchises. The game aims to capture the exploration and survival elements of early 2000s RPGs while incorporating modern conveniences.
Does Of Ash and Steel have quest markers?
No, Of Ash and Steel deliberately avoids quest markers and waypoint systems. NPCs give directions through dialogue, and players must navigate using environmental landmarks and their own sense of direction. The map starts unusable until you find or craft the materials to make it functional.
What are the main gameplay features?
Of Ash and Steel features open-world exploration, survival mechanics including hunger and wound management, skill-based progression with three branches (Survival, Craftsmanship, War), stat-based dialogue choices, and combat with three different stances depending on weapon type.
Is there a demo available?
Yes, the Steam Next Fest demo remains available on Steam even after the event ended. The demo includes several hours of gameplay covering character creation, early survival mechanics, combat introduction, and exploration.
What are reviews saying about Of Ash and Steel?
Early reviews are mixed, praising the ambitious design and old-school RPG mechanics while criticizing serious technical issues including bugs, performance problems, and unpolished systems. Some reviews describe the game as barely functional at launch.
How much does Of Ash and Steel cost?
Of Ash and Steel is priced at approximately $30 USD on both Steam and GOG, significantly cheaper than the $60 to $70 standard for modern RPGs.
Conclusion
Of Ash and Steel represents an ambitious attempt to recapture what made classic RPGs compelling without simply copying them wholesale. The vision is clear and appealing for players tired of modern hand-holding and quest marker overdependence. Unfortunately, Fire & Frost Studios’ limited experience and resources show in the technical execution, with multiple reviews warning about bugs and performance issues that undermine the interesting design. If you’re a hardcore RPG fan willing to tolerate rough edges for old-school gameplay, the demo provides a risk-free way to see if Of Ash and Steel clicks. Everyone else should probably wait for patches before diving into the Kingdom of the Seven.