Remember when Stronghold came out and everyone realized medieval castle-building mixed with real-time strategy was absolutely brilliant? That was 2001. Twenty-four years later, developer Robin van der Horst at Advonger Games just released a spiritual successor that feels like the natural evolution of that formula for players who’ve been starving for this specific type of game.
Realms of Madness launched today as a full 1.0 release—not early access, not a work-in-progress, just a finished game. Solo developer Robin van der Horst has been quietly building this indie gem, and it’s available on Steam right now with a 10% launch discount bringing it down to around $14. There’s a free demo available too if you want to try before committing.
The Core Concept
Realms of Madness is a fantasy RTS with a sideways perspective that should feel immediately comfortable to anyone who played Stronghold or Kingdom. You start with a castle and need to build it up to defend against incoming enemies. The catch is that instead of recruiting generic medieval units, you’re commanding mythical creatures. Dragons, trolls, golem soldiers, explosive bats—this is what medieval warfare would look like if it actually had cool stuff.
On the left side of your screen is your castle. On the right side is the enemy stronghold. Between you and defeat is resource management, strategic building placement, unit recruitment, and the willingness to launch flying units over your fortifications. The game’s side-scrolling perspective creates a different feel from traditional RTS games while staying true to the castle-builder heritage.
Build Your Fantasy Kingdom
Castle construction is where the core strategy lives. Buildings serve different purposes: farms generate food for your population, barracks train military units, keeps house your troops and provide defense, granaries store resources, and specialized structures unlock new unit types and abilities. Placement matters because your castle needs to be defended while also maintaining productive buildings further back.
The economy system is streamlined enough to understand in minutes but deep enough that optimizing your layout creates genuinely meaningful decisions. Running low on food? You need more farms. Need stronger units? You need a better barracks. Getting rushed? You need better defensive structures. Every building choice has immediate consequences.
Mythical Creatures Do Combat
Where Realms of Madness separates itself is in unit variety. Instead of generic soldiers and archers, you’re commanding dragons that deal massive area damage, trolls that regenerate health during combat, golem soldiers that are slow but incredibly tanky, explosive bats that suicide-bomb enemy formations, and more units waiting to be unlocked. Each creature has unique mechanics that affect how you approach battles.
Combat is automatically resolved when units engage, but the strategy comes from deciding which creatures to send and when to deploy them. A single dragon is powerful but expensive. A horde of cheaper units can overwhelm defenses through sheer numbers. Do you defend strategically or focus on offense? Every game becomes a series of tactical choices based on what you’ve built and what resources you have available.
Multiple Realms, Multiple Challenges
The campaign takes you through various realms, each with unique visual themes and mechanical challenges. A forest realm has different resource distribution than a volcanic realm. Different enemy types require different defensive strategies. The progression keeps introducing new unit types and buildings, ensuring you’re constantly learning and adapting rather than just repeating the same strategy.
Voice Acting and Character Development
Realms of Madness includes voice-acted characters that guide your journey through the realms. Rather than just being tutorial voices, these characters contribute to the world-building and story. They’re not elaborate story sequences—this isn’t a narrative-focused game—but the voice work gives the world personality and makes progression feel like you’re actually embarking on a journey rather than just playing random skirmish maps.
Made By One Person, Feels Complete
The impressive part about Realms of Madness is that Robin van der Horst built this entirely solo. Not as a side project while working a full-time job, but as a dedicated indie developer. This isn’t a three-developer team or a studio funded by investors—it’s one person who believed in the Stronghold formula and wanted to see it continue. The game feels polished and complete because he refused to release it until 1.0 was ready.
Robin previously released Open the Gates, another RTS title. With Realms of Madness, he’s taken everything he learned and built something significantly more ambitious. The result is a game that understands what made castle-builder RTS games special and modernizes that formula without losing the core appeal.
Current Status and Availability
Realms of Madness is available right now on Steam as a full 1.0 release. No early access, no “development roadmap,” no “we’ll add more later”—just a finished game ready to play. A free demo is available if you want to try the first few realms before purchasing. The launch discount of 10% will last through November 17, after which the price returns to $15.99 USD (or regional equivalent).
The game supports controller input if you prefer that over keyboard and mouse, making it accessible for different playstyle preferences. Windows PC is the current platform with no console announcements yet.
FAQs
When did Realms of Madness release?
Realms of Madness released as a full 1.0 version on November 3, 2025 on Steam. The game is available immediately with no early access period.
How much does Realms of Madness cost?
The regular price is $15.99 USD (or regional equivalent). Launch discount brings it to $14.39 (10% off) until November 17, 2025.
Can I try it before buying?
Yes, a free demo is available on Steam that lets you play through the first few realms. Progress from the demo carries over to the full version if you purchase.
How long is Realms of Madness?
Campaign length varies depending on difficulty settings and playstyle. Most players should expect 8-15 hours for a complete campaign. Additional replayability comes from trying different unit compositions and defensive strategies.
Does Realms of Madness have multiplayer?
The initial 1.0 release focuses on single-player campaign. Multiplayer has not been mentioned or announced for future updates.
What games is this similar to?
Realms of Madness is most directly inspired by Stronghold and Kingdom. Players who enjoyed either title will feel immediately comfortable with the castle-builder RTS formula.
Is this early access or a finished game?
This is a finished 1.0 release. Robin van der Horst did not release the game in early access—he waited until the game was complete before launching on Steam.
What platforms can I play on?
Realms of Madness is available on Windows PC through Steam. Console versions have not been announced. The game supports both keyboard-mouse and controller input.
Conclusion
Realms of Madness proves that there’s still an audience for well-executed castle-builder RTS games, and that a solo developer with a clear vision can deliver something genuinely compelling. Robin van der Horst waited until 1.0 was ready rather than trying to chase live service trends or squeeze players with early access sales. The result is a finished, polished game that understands what made Stronghold special and modernizes the formula with mythical creatures, multiple realms, and strategic depth that’ll keep you engaged for hours. At $14.39 with a free demo available, Realms of Madness is an absolute steal for anyone who’s been waiting for someone to bring castle-builder RTS gaming back to life. Grab the demo on Steam and see if Robin van der Horst just created your next favorite indie game.