Fans of the darkly humorous strategy game Despotism 3K are in for a sequel of sorts, though not in the customary sense. Konfa Games unveiled plans at BCN Game Fest for a new roguelike title expanding upon the lore of its popular predecessor, continuing the narrative of Despot’s reign following Earth’s destruction.The studio is emphasizing a highly replayable experience focused on strategic variety and unlockable content,drawing inspiration from indie hits like Balatro and FTL.An open beta is planned,with developers stating a near-complete “vertical slice” of the game is already available for internal testing.
Konfa Games recently shared details about its upcoming project, a roguelike game set within the universe of its breakout hit, Despotism 3K, during BCN Game Fest. The studio outlined how the new title connects to the broader narrative established in Despotism 3K, and detailed its approach to the roguelike genre.
According to Konfa Games developer Nikolai Kuznetsov, the new game is a continuation of the story that began with Despotism 3K. “Yes, our first game, Despotism 3K, is from Despot, how to say, they started controlling humans. Now it’s a long time after, Despot already, how to say, controlled the whole Earth, but Earth was destroyed by aliens. He took some humans, made a very fast spaceship, and then fought with this group of smart aliens, why did they destroy Earth? Because they were afraid of evil AI. There is a reason.”
The team is aiming for a gameplay experience that draws inspiration from titles like Balatro and FTL, emphasizing replayability through dynamic shifts in gameplay rather than persistent character progression. “It’s just unlocking,” Kuznetsov explained. “It unlocks new spaceships, new artifacts, new spaceship models, but it’s not about mainstream growth. I mean, you can’t, how to say? You can’t increase health or damage between runs, just change different modes, different spaceships, yes, that’s it. We like the meta-progression like in FTL or Baatro, when you have a lot of content, you can replay instantly and go through it again with different stuff.” This approach to roguelike design suggests a focus on strategic variety and adapting to unpredictable scenarios with each playthrough.
Konfa Games is preparing to launch an open beta for the game, with a full announcement and demonstration forthcoming. Kuznetsov indicated the current build is close to a “vertical slice,” meaning it features a complete, playable experience from start to finish, including tutorials and core content. “The next step will be to make players start smoothly, finish it, and then we will make announcements and a public demo.”
The studio’s full interview with Konfa Games is available to watch below.
