"Anglo-Saxon architecture and handmade dioramas": Be The Ruler dev shares art style inspiration, discusses development, and more (Exclusive)

Be The Ruler is slated to be a "strategy RPG game" from BeardedBrothers. A free demo has been available on Steam since May 3, 2024. The game mechanic promises a "dynamic world of procedurally generated events" where you will impact how your kingdom's fate shapes up to be.

I recently had the opportunity to chat with the Be The Ruler dev regarding the game development, its settings, the unique art style, and more. Furthermore, being an Old English fan, I was eager to know what led them to choose the Middle Ages of King Alfred.

---

"The setting is quasi-historical": Be The Ruler dev discusses game setting, development, and more

In-game screenshot (Image via Be BeardedBrother.Games)

Q: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. Can you please introduce Be The Ruler to the readers?

BeardedBrothers: Be The Ruler is supposed to be a mix of several genres, a text-based "point and click" interface in the style of Disco Elysium, with a mechanical backend of Crusader Kings.

We want it to be an experience in which players can forge alliances and cultivate relationships through lavish feasts, exhilarating hunts, and joyous festivals.

Observe the world's reactions to their decisions, the economic and military situation, and relationships with other characters, all set in the historical context of early Middle Ages England during the Viking invasion.

---

Q: What would you note as the major features of Be The Rule that players will surely love? What do you feel sets this game apart from other grand strategy titles in the market?

BeardedBrothers: I think what sets us apart the most is the thing I just mentioned, the plan of having features and mechanics of games like Crusader Kings provided in an easily accessible package.

The depth of gameplay of those games injected in something no more complex (from the player’s perspective) than text-based point & click. Hundreds of hours of fun with a low barrier of entry.

---

Q: Coming to the art style, what inspired the team to follow a design language based on wooden toys?

In-game screenshot (Image via BeardedBrother.Games)

BeardedBrothers: It came mainly from references to Anglo-Saxon architecture and handmade dioramas. In our minds, it gives a theatrical, intimate, cozy feeling which corresponds well with the impression we aimed for.

Making important decisions about the kingdom and other people, but still has some limitations in perception, space, and time period.

---

Q: What has the development journey been like? Any particular incident that you would like to share with readers? What parts of the world and the gameplay experience are procedurally generated?

BeardedBrothers: We have a dedicated team of people from different backgrounds, passionate about creating great experiences. That in addition to good management resulted in rather smooth development so far.

As for procedural generation, we mostly plan to use it to cover random events in kingdom management and relations between characters, to differentiate outcomes even in the range of the same answer to a particular event.

---

Q: Is there any particular reason for choosing the Middle Ages and King Alfred for the game’s setting? Does the narrative stay true to historical facts or can players take their own course?

In-game screenshot of court (Image via BeardedBrother.Games)

BeardedBrothers: Besides the simple reason of having plenty of people in the studio who are fans of this time period, choosing the Middle Ages of King Alfred as a setting for a game offers us a rich backdrop filled with historical intrigue, epic battles, and a sense of adventure. Basically, it provides us with an interesting narrative frame without shackling to a particular story.

As for the player's course, the setting is quasi-historical. The game aims to blend factual and plausible fictional elements to enrich the experience, providing both educational insights and creative liberties to the players.

---

Q: The free demo on Steam has seen mixed reviews, with a handful of players complaining about optimizing issues. Did the complaints take the team by surprise?

BeardedBrothers: We somewhat anticipated that. Just like we wrote in the message at the beginning of the game, this was a very early version.

Our goal was mainly to get as much feedback as possible at the stage when even major changes would not derail our production schedule. In our minds, those complaints are the necessary price on the road to the best game we can make.

---

Q: What’s the content roadmap like for Be The Ruler before its full release?

Shape your kingdom's fate (Image via BeardedBrother.Games)

BeardedBrothers: We have closed the GDO scenario and the "vertical slice scenario." The next steps include analyzing and refining the GDD and developing a technical alpha version, checking whether all the elements we have planned are scalable while maintaining functionality, and well... fun stuff like:

• Expanding the decision engine with new options and branching
• Adding economic changes and relationships with characters and countries to the
• entire system
• Expanding the military part with more units and statistics
• Expanding the playable area with more and more diverse locations
• Basing the geopolitical situation on a mixture of events and the reactions of other
• rulers to the player's actions
• And adding some visual flair, so the game is less wooden ;)

---

I also had a chat with the devs behind another BeardedBrothers game. The Underground Garage exclusive might interest you especially if you are a car aficionado and love tinkering with its parts.