Iratus: Lord of the Dead
A necromancer's tactical ascent from dungeon depths to the surface.
Iratus: Lord of the Dead is a tactical role-playing game developed by Unfrozen and published by Daedalic Entertainment in 2020 for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux. Players control Iratus, a necromancer who raises undead hordes to escape from a dungeon, starting with simple creatures like skeletons and zombies and unlocking more complex ones such as banshees and vampires as he gains power. The game is notable for its turn-based side-view combat inspired by Darkest Dungeon and its central concept of playing an evil character, drawn from Dungeon Keeper.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Iratus: Lord of the Dead
- Developer
- Unfrozen
- Publisher
- Daedalic Entertainment
- Engine
- Unity
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows / macOS / Linux
- Released
- April 23, 2020
- Genre
- Tactical role-playing
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Iratus: Lord of the Dead was successfully crowdfunded in June 2018 and entered early access in July 2019 before its full release on April 24, 2020. The game's combat was inspired by Darkest Dungeon, while the concept of playing an evil character came from Dungeon Keeper. Additional influences for gameplay elements included Slay the Spire and Disciples II. The artwork drew inspiration from Heroes of Might and Magic V, the painting 'The Demon Seated', Dungeon Keeper, and the works of H. P. Lovecraft. A DLC titled Wrath of the Necromancer was released on October 28, 2020, adding another dungeon level, more creatures, and new items.
Reader's Guide
Iratus: Lord of the Dead received positive reviews on Metacritic. During early access, PC Gamer's Andy Kelly noted that while the game initially appears as a simple turn-based tactics title, the number of special abilities available to monsters gives it depth, and the combat mechanics and lavish artwork make it enjoyable despite its derivative nature. Sin Vega of Rock Paper Shotgun highlighted the combat as enjoyable but singled out the creature-crafting system as the standout feature. RPGamer's Pascal Tekaia called it a polished, meaty dungeon-crawler for a slightly masochistic audience, praising the tactical options and recommending it to fans of Darkest Dungeon. After release, PC Gamer's Steven Messner compared the horror elements unfavorably to Darkest Dungeon but praised the crafting system, extensive skills, and tactical combat, particularly noting that unlocking new units and discovering how they complement each other is very fun. Jeuxvideo described the game as a solid alternative to Darkest Dungeon.
Did You Know?
- The game was successfully crowdfunded in June 2018.
- Combat is viewed from the side, similar to Darkest Dungeon.
- Heroes attacked in combat can be driven insane, causing them to flee, turn against teammates, or become harder to kill.
- The DLC Wrath of the Necromancer added another dungeon level, more creatures, and new items.
More in Role-Playing Games of the 2020s, Part 2 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced