Norse Oath of Blood blends city-building games with a Viking take on XCOM

Looking back to the distant past is always a good way to frame a city-building game. Manor Lords, Banished, Going Medieval, and Stronghold all use more or less accurately modeled historical settings to add extra appeal to their approaches to the genre. Norse: Oath of Blood takes a similar tack, but goes further, blending a grounded depiction of Viking era life with tactical battles and rich character work to create something unique.

Norse: Oath of Blood is a strategy and city-building game that casts players as a Norwegian warrior called Gunnar who seeks to avenge his murdered father by building a power base capable of defeating the man responsible. Doing so requires players to not only construct a new settlement that grows from humble beginnings into a fortified stronghold, but also to recruit allies who can form a warband Gunnar leads in turn-based tactical combat encounters.

Aside from its mix of combat and city building, Norse: Oath of Blood stands out for a more tightly directed narrative approach than is typical for the genre, its story written by historical fiction author Giles Kristian. As players progress through the plot, Gunnar meets characters from across Early Middle Ages Norway and must make choices regarding his relationships with them that end up influencing his settlement's future.

While the game only has a general 2025 launch date at the moment, you can find more details on Norse: Oath of Blood or add it to your wishlist on Steam right here.

Otherwise, you might want to help pass the time until more news arrives by finding similar options through our picks for the best strategy games and best management games already out on PC.

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