MicroProse has partnered with Adamant Studios to create a new procedurally generated RPG which harkens to the good old days of PC gaming. D&D veteran and Greyhawk co-creator Rob Kuntz has been brought on board to create an immersive fantasy world featuring a score by Neverwinter Nights composer Kevin Manthei. Knights of Frontier Valley is being built by Martin Menzel using a custom engine.
“Frontier Valley immediately spoke to me because it captures what I loved about the earliest days of D&D — the thrill of discovery, a world that breathes on its own, and the feeling that every decision matters. This is a world that evolves with the players,” said Kuntz. “This is a world that breathes, challenges, and reacts. Knights of Frontier Valley isn’t just a game – it’s an adventure in the truest sense.”
-Rob Kuntz
The developers point out that Knights of Frontier Valley does not feature any AI art and that its visuals are all hand-drawn. The game has been designed to be replayed with its procedurally generated world that aims to ensure gamers have unique experiences each playthrough with changing maps, items, and characters. A release date has not yet been announced, but it will be available on Steam for PCs.
“Having Rob Kuntz lend his creative vision to Knights of Frontier Valley is nothing short of historic,This is a designer whose fingerprints are on the very foundation of tabletop role-playing. Fans of Dungeons & Dragons, classic CRPGs, and deep strategic role-playing should take notice – this is a game built for you.”
-Chris Ansell (CMO MicroProse)
Press Release (via GamesPress):
MicroProse is thrilled to announce its publishing partnership with Adamant Studios for Knights of Frontier Valley, a challenging, old-school-inspired roguelike RPG that brings the depth, danger, and discovery of classic fantasy adventures to a living, breathing digital world.
In a major development for the RPG community, tabletop gaming legend Rob Kuntz — one of the founding pioneers of Dungeons & Dragons — joins the project to bring his unparalleled experience and creative vision to the game.
Rob’s influence on tabletop fantasy gaming is immeasurable.This extraordinary collaboration marks a rare moment where the origins of fantasy role-playing meet the cutting edge of indie game development. As a close friend and collaborator of Gary Gygax, Kuntz co-created the iconic Greyhawk setting, penned some of the earliest D&D modules, and helped lay the foundation for modern RPG storytelling.
A Living World Shaped by a Master of the Craft
Knights of Frontier Valley offers players an immersive, procedurally generated world filled with danger, faction intrigue, and tough choices — all set within a living, breathing world where days turn to nights, seasons shift, and survival is never guaranteed.
With an original score from world-class composer Kevin Manthei (Neverwinter Nights) and the amazing Rob Kuntz contributing to the game’s lore design, worldbuilding, and quest structure, players can expect the kind of layered storytelling, organic world creation, and player-driven discovery that defined the golden age of role-playing.
Key Features:
- Procedurally generated world full of unique characters, factions, dungeons, and mysteries waiting to be uncovered
- Gridless, turn-based battles where positioning and tactics matter – or auto-resolve for faster play.
- Deep survival mechanics, including hunger, thirst, injuries, and weather in a game where the frontier is as dangerous as the monsters lurking within it.
- Robust character customization with multiple classes, professions, and skill sets to shape your hero or villain’s journey.
- A living world with working NPCs, evolving stories, and no quest markers — only clues to uncover.
- Hand-drawn art, proudly created without generative AI.
- Permanent Consequences – There’s no safety net here. Every choice carries weight, and every adventure is unique.
A True Indie Gem, Backed by MicroProse and Enriched by a Legend
Created by Martin Menzel, a passionate solo developer using a custom-built engine, Knights of Frontier Valley honors the spirit of classic RPGs while forging its own path into the future. With MicroProse’s support and Rob Kuntz’s creative guidance, this is more than just a game — it’s a love letter to the entire history of role-playing, from the tabletop to the digital age.
Discussion (19 replies)
Join Discussion →Micro who? You know that company that everyone thinks disappeared a long time ago.
Joking aside I think this looks kind of interesting. Nothing majorly new and nothing wrong with that but potential to be well made.
I still have no idea what "roguelike" even means. But for a long time I had no idea what "soulslike" was either, then I figured it out and learnt to avoid it like the devil.
... to the internet! Meaning of Roguelike ...
I don't recall ever having played Rogue itself, but way back in the early days, I extensively played Nethack, which is one of the archetypal variants. I even dabbled and wrote a few scripts for it. These days, people would call that modding. :)
Sounds just like regular RPG to me. The generic description isn't really a substitute for experiencing it.
I admit that I tend to occasionally look up roguelike/soulslike just to remind myself of what they are and neither tend to stick with me. I guess I just never really got into either type.
Not realy my thing either, I did play some Hades but never got very far b4 I got bored
Yeah the constant restarting from Level 1 gets to me
Hades was the only roguelike that had some kind of appeal to me, but I dropped it before too long. No matter what genre a roguelike is in, be it something like Hades or a 3rd-person shooter like Returnal or something else, I just can't get into roguelikes of any kind.
I am still not clear on what a roguelike is.
I'm not sure if any of us truly are either nor do I feel confident that most of the folks who use that description really know as well.
I believe "rogue-like" is how the ladies refer to my rugged good looks.
I can't tell you what it is, but I can tell you what it is not (from my humble perspective). If it's not ASCII, it's not a Roguelike.
Enter the Gungeon and Wizard of Legend are two others that I remembered trying, and yeah I couldn't get into those either.
"Rogue" like and "Souls" like seem to dominate the gaming definition world lately.
I think the general idea is no saves, if you die you start over from step 1. Basically a PITA. I have a love/hate affair for Hades.... the music, artwork, gameplay is so good. But the boss battles SUCK. I have never completed it, even on the easiest setting after more than 100 runs. Not being able to save is a serious downer. It will let you "pause" if you clear a level, before moving on to the next, but get killed again and POOF back to start.