Poly Poly Games announced that the strategic card-based Roguelite game "Land of the Forbidden," co-developed with Kibi Games, has launched a free demo on Steam. Players will manage a secret cult in Mist Town, recruiting followers and configuring facilities to accumulate Eldritch Power, battling invading Outer Gods within a limited number of turns.
The core strategy of this game revolves around the chain interactions between followers and facilities. Followers from the four clans—Dogs, Cats, Birds, and Bears—each have unique traits. Players need to adjust their follower decks through recruitment and plan facilities on a 7x5 grid, using limited replacement opportunities to change the combinations on the field.
At the end of each turn, "Faith" generated by followers and "Offerings" provided by facilities are converted into "Eldritch Power." Players must observe how chain effects trigger, gradually adjusting their deck and facility combinations to accumulate enough power to defeat the invading Outer Gods within the allotted turns after their arrival. Different Outer Gods will require adjustments to your existing build.
In addition to deck and facility configuration, players can choose their path on the "Circle of Doctrine," visiting shops, acquiring relics, and handling random events along the way. Different combinations of cards, facilities, and relics will provide new build directions for each challenge.
The game's story also revolves around Mist Town. While managing the cult, players will interact with Lucy, the cult's secretary; Henry, who is investigating missing persons cases; and Arum, a wealthy enthusiast of the occult. Through a series of events, players will gradually uncover the reasons why townspeople join the cult and the secrets behind the town.
The demo is now available for free download, allowing players to experience core content such as follower decks, facility configurations, and Outer God trials. The development team stated that this Demo significantly expands upon the previous Playtest version and supports Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, and Japanese. The full version of "Land of the Forbidden" is still in development.