Mad King Redemption

WHEN BEAT'EM'UP MEETS ROGUELITE

A two-and-a-half-dimensional (2.5D) beat'em'up about a Brotherhood of sinners trying to redeem a king who broke the world with a forbidden song. Roguelite progression. Live on Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Pass today.

50k+ Steam wishlists · Very Positive reviews · couch co-op

LAUNCHING SOON

THE KICKSTARTER

We are different from most campaigns: the game already exists. You can play it today on Steam and Xbox Game Pass. This Kickstarter does not fund the game. It funds the Founder's Edition: cosmetics exclusive to Kickstarter, physical rewards, and, if we hit the stretch goal, a real SEGA Mega Drive version.

That de-risks the campaign for you. Already own it? There is a Founder Upgrade tier with no game key. The link is inside the game. We will not ask for a receipt. Already-playing backers still get the exclusives Steam buyers will never see: Founder cosmetics, a name in the Brotherhood roster, and the physical goods.

The Mega Drive port is a rebuild for 1988 hardware, not a copy-paste. If it unlocks, you can pick a playable Read Only Memory (ROM) file, a boxed cartridge that runs on original hardware, or both.

THE FORBIDDEN SONG

Before the shadow, Aldermere was held by a Pact: certain powers shall not be touched, certain songs must not be sung, certain doors must not be opened.

Then the King descended into the Cloister of the Dragon and sang a Forbidden Song. The Pact broke. In an exchange of power with the ancient dragon, through magic, betrayal, and love, he cursed everything and everyone. The kingdom fell to its knees.

The only hope is a Brotherhood of heroes determined to redeem themselves first, and the kingdom as a whole. They are not here to slay a tyrant. They are here to redeem him, and themselves.

A SPIRITUAL SUCCESSOR

We studied combat tempo, animation poses, artificial intelligence states, and the whole flow of the old classics, to revive that Golden Axe feeling. Then we redesigned the coin-op night as a "one more run" loop, driven by hero progression and the Brotherhood.

PLAYABLE NOW

  • Two full biomes, four heroes, the Brotherhood hub
  • Local two-player co-op on PC and Xbox, plus Steam Remote Play
  • Story and roguelite on purpose: each hero has an arc that unlocks biome by biome
  • Nineteen languages, from English and Italian to Japanese, Korean, and both Chinese scripts
Mad King Redemption Key Art

GAME FEATURES

⚔️

BRUTAL COMBAT

Faithful to a brawler. Combat tempo, animation poses, and enemy states rebuilt from the classics so a run still feels like a coin-op night.

🔄

ONE MORE RUN

The old coin-op loop, redesigned. Heroes grow, the Brotherhood shares progress, and every run through Aldermere is a new fight.

☠️

CORRUPTION

Forbidden powers fill a Corruption Bar. When it breaks you enter a Corrupted Phase, then crash, exposed. Push or hold back.

👥

COUCH CO-OP

Two players, one screen, on PC or Xbox. Steam Remote Play if a friend is elsewhere.

THE BROTHERHOOD

Each hero committed a Sin before the corruption spread, and each one seeks Redemption. The Brotherhood is where every run begins: a last resort of sanity. Non-player characters (NPCs) live there, unlock through quests, and sell the upgrades you share on the path back.

Valraven

VALRAVEN

The Swordmaster

Sin: ambition

First Blade of the royal guard. He was supposed to block the stairs to the Cloister of the Dragon. Ambition made him step aside. Balanced, fast, and strong, with the ability to block incoming hits.

Branok

BRANOK

The Wrestler

Sin: the opened door

The strongest man in Aldermere. His hands moved the seal-stone no one else could. He opened the door the King walked through. Slow, sturdy, and raw. A single punch can knock an enemy out.

Darkblade

DARKBLADE

The Assassin

Sin: the bought speed

Captain of the Queen's Silent Guard. She bought speed from the shadow to protect the light, and could not let the power go. Movement and agility let her cut through a fight before the hit lands.

Elowen

ELOWEN

The Sorcerer

Sin: the first ritual

Court sorcerer who introduced the King to the forbidden magic, before the King was lost. Weak in melee with only his staff. He summons minions, and can heal himself and his allies.

Four more heroes arrive with version 1.0. No names yet.

THE KINGDOM OF ALDERMERE

Four biomes, then a fifth place where the Mad King can take physical form. Two regions are live. The rest, and the Cloister of the Dragon, ship with 1.0.

PLAYABLE NOW

DUNGEON OF BARON MORGRIM

Boss: Baron Morgrim. He drank from the goblet for immortality, and the dead still answer him.

PLAYABLE NOW

SHADOWMERE DESERT

Boss: Ronhak. He took the power to command the sands, and rules the wastes with an iron fist.

COMING 1.0

SYL'VARIS FOREST

Boss: Nemora. She claimed the forces of nature. The woods will not stay quiet.

COMING 1.0

RUINS OF SKYGRAVE

Boss: Oromund, last herald of the ancient draconic language, master of forbidden powers.

Beyond the fourth door: the Cloister of the Dragon, and the fields of Redemption.

THE CORRUPTED

THE COURT

Rotten Guards, Royal Enforcers, King's Blades, Hammers, and Axes. Still on duty. Still serving a rotten leader.

THE RESTLESS DEAD

Skeleton Guards, Elites, Spikes, and Axes. The King's heraldry is still on the shield, long after the flesh left the bone.

THE ONES WHO CHOSE IT

Necroclan cultists, Dark Heralds, Soul Reapers. Elite warriors who embraced the dark instead of fighting it.

THE DAMNED

The biome bosses. Each drank from a goblet and traded a soul for a greater power. Morgrim, Ronhak, Nemora, Oromund.

ROADMAP TO 1.0

Early Access is live on Steam, Good Old Games (GOG), and Xbox, including Xbox Game Pass. The rest of Aldermere arrives as free updates. A major patch has shipped every month since launch. Full version target: first quarter of 2027.

LIVE NOW

TWO BIOMES, FOUR HEROES

Baron Morgrim, Shadowmere, the Brotherhood hub, mounts, Corruption, and local co-op.

FREE UPDATES

THE REST OF THE KINGDOM

Syl'Varis and Skygrave, three new bosses including the Mad King, new enemy rosters, four more heroes, more mounts and quests.

PLANNED

ONLINE AND VERSUS

Native online multiplayer and a player-versus-player mode. On the roadmap. Not funded by this Kickstarter. Do not back expecting them.

2027

MORE PLATFORMS

Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 (PS5) planned for 2027. Steam Deck is already Verified.

PLATFORMS

Platform Status
Windows on Steam Live in Early Access
macOS on Steam Live in Early Access
Steam Deck Verified
Good Old Games (GOG) Live in Early Access
Xbox Series X and S Live, also on Xbox Game Pass
SEGA Mega Drive Stretch goal only: digital ROM and boxed cartridge
Nintendo Switch Planned for 2027
PlayStation 5 Planned for 2027