Look, let’s be real for a second. If you’ve been scouring Steam or Reddit for a gritty, turn-based tactics game that isn't XCOM or Final Fantasy Tactics, you’ve probably seen Crown Wars: The Black Prince pop up. You probably also saw some mediocre review scores and moved on. That’s kinda a mistake. While it isn’t perfect—and man, it has some rough edges—there is a deep, dark, and surprisingly rewarding historical fantasy game here if you know what you’re getting into.
The game drops you right into the 14th century. We are talking the Hundred Years' War. England and France are ripping each other apart, and then the developers at Artefacts Studio decided to throw in a secret, demonic cult called the Order. It’s a weird mix. One minute you’re worried about French heavy cavalry, and the next, you’re fighting giant mutated bears and cultists with glowing eyes. It works, though. It feels like Game of Thrones met Darkest Dungeon but kept the grid-based movement of Tactics Ogre.
The Tactical Meat of Crown Wars: The Black Prince
Most people think tactical RPGs are just about clicking a square and hitting "attack." Crown Wars: The Black Prince is much more punishing than that. Positioning is literally life or death. If you leave your Alchemist exposed, they’re dead in one turn. No second chances. The game uses a class system that feels familiar but has enough tweaks to keep it interesting. You have your standard Crusaders (the tanks), Duelists (the glass cannons), and Rangers (the snipers).
The Alchemist is where the game gets wacky. They don't just heal; they manipulate the battlefield with vapors and explosives. Honestly, playing without a good Alchemist is basically suicide in the mid-game missions. You’ve also got the Beastmaster, who brings a literal dog or bear into the fight. Using the bear to tank hits while your Duelist circles around for a backstab is the core loop that makes this game addictive.
The combat uses an Action Point system. You get two per turn. Move and attack? Sure. Attack twice? If you’ve built your character right, maybe. But the "facing" mechanic is what really kills you. If an enemy gets behind your shield-bearing Crusader, the damage mitigation drops to zero. You have to constantly think about which way your little 3D soldiers are looking. It's stressful. It's great.
Why Your Castle Is More Than Just A Menu
Between the bloody skirmishes, you’re managing your domain. This isn't just flavor text. The castle management in Crown Wars: The Black Prince is a massive part of the power curve. You’ve got the Forge for weapons, the Laboratory for those vital grenades, and the Chapel for healing the physical and mental trauma your soldiers endure.
If you ignore the upgrades, you will hit a wall. Hard.
I’ve seen players complain that the game is too difficult. Usually, it's because they tried to rush the main story without upgrading their infrastructure. You need to send your "bench" soldiers on secondary missions to gather resources like wood and stone. It feels a bit like a mobile game's timer system at first, but it adds a layer of long-term strategy. You aren't just a commander; you're a lord trying to keep a crumbling estate from falling into the hands of a demonic cult. It’s a lot to juggle.
Dealing With The "Jank" Factor
We have to talk about the technical side. It's not all sunshine and roses. Crown Wars: The Black Prince has some clunky animations. Sometimes the camera decides it wants to look at a wall instead of the guy stabbing your Archer. The UI can be a bit overwhelming, too. There are icons everywhere, and the game doesn't always do a great job of explaining what "Bleed" vs. "Deep Wound" does in the heat of the moment.
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Also, the voice acting is... a choice. It’s very "theatrical." Some people love the over-the-top British accents; others will find it grating after ten hours. But honestly? That’s part of the charm of AA (Double-A) games. They have a soul that polished, soulless AAA titles often lack. It reminds me of the old school Euro-RPG jank—think Gothic or The Witcher 1. It’s rough, but the mechanics underneath are rock solid.
Deep Lore And The Black Prince Himself
Who was the Black Prince? Edward of Woodstock. He’s a historical titan, known for his victory at the Battle of Poitiers. In the game, he serves as a central figure, but the narrative leans heavily into the "Secret History" trope. The idea that the world was ending not just because of plague and war, but because of a shadowy cabal, is a fun hook.
The Order is a great antagonist because they cheat. They use magic. They have monsters. You, on the other hand, just have steel, grit, and maybe a few chemical bombs. This "underdog" feeling persists throughout the entire campaign. You never truly feel "OP" because the enemies scale in terrifying ways.
Common Misconceptions About The Gameplay
A lot of people think this is a pure historical sim. It isn't. If you go in expecting a 100% accurate recreation of medieval warfare, you’re going to be annoyed when a guy starts summoning shadow tentacles. This is a dark fantasy game. It just happens to use a historical backdrop.
Another misconception is that the game is "grindy." It's only grindy if you don't understand the synergy between classes. If you try to brute force every encounter with just knights, you’ll lose soldiers and have to spend time recruiting and leveling new ones. That’s the "grind." If you play smart, use cover, and leverage your Alchemist's smoke screens, you can breeze through most missions without taking a scratch.
Actionable Tips For New Players
If you’re picking up Crown Wars: The Black Prince today, don’t just dive into the first mission and hope for the best. You will get crushed. Follow these steps to actually survive the first five hours:
- Focus on the Forge early. Better armor is more important than better weapons. Dead soldiers don't deal damage.
- Always bring a Beastmaster. The extra body on the field (your pet) is invaluable for drawing fire away from your squishy units.
- Abuse the Overwatch mechanic. Just like in XCOM, making the enemy come to you is almost always the better play.
- Don't ignore the Chapel. Traumatized soldiers gain negative traits that can ruin a run. Spend the gold to fix their heads.
- Check the turn order constantly. This is the most important thing. If you see a heavy enemy is about to move, prioritize stunning or killing them before they can act.
The game is a slow burn. It’s about the incremental gains. You’ll lose a few favorite soldiers. You’ll fail a mission because you forgot to check a flank. But when you finally upgrade your castle to its peak and your squad of elite veterans carves through a cultist stronghold, it feels earned. That’s something many modern, easier games just don't offer.
The developers have been patching the game since launch, fixing some of the more egregious bugs and balancing the economy. It’s in a much better place now than it was on day one. If you like the idea of medieval knights fighting Cthulhu-adjacent horrors in a turn-based grid, you owe it to yourself to give this one a fair shake. It’s a niche game for a niche audience, but for that audience, it’s a total blast.
Go into your first playthrough expecting to fail. Learn the mechanics of the terrain—height advantage is a massive deal here. Keep your Alchemist behind a shield. If you do those things, the war for France (and the world) might actually be winnable.