Pendragon
is a Turn-Based Tactics game inspired by Arthurian Legend. It was released on September 22, 2020 by Inkle Ltd. There is no connection to the roleplaying game of the same name.
In the year 673, King Arthur's nephew Mordred has betrayed the Knights of the Round Table, throwing the realm of Camelot into chaos. While Arthur prepares to face Mordred to put an end to the war, other characters from Arthurian Legend travel north toward Camlann to assist Arthur and try to save what's left.
Each level takes place on an isometrically projected grid. Play alternates between the player and computer, who can each move only one unit at a time, but can call for reinforcements if they have any. Moving horizontally or vertically allows a unit to attack and eliminate other units, while moving diagonally puts them in a "defensive" stance, allowing them to claim more territory and protect against ambushes. Your goal is to either clear the area of enemies or reach the exit on the other side of the map in order to escape, with the ultimate goal of reaching Camlann to assist King Arthur before his fated battle with Mordred.
Tropes:
- Anyone Can Die: Every character, from King Arthur to Sir Lancelot to Guinevere to Morgana, can die with one well-placed attack. This is especially enforced during the Battle of Camlann, where your followers no longer simply suffer health loss if they get attacked like on previous maps.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Occasionally, one of your units will ask to throw themselves into the enemy's line of fire if it means giving their allies a tactical advantage.
- Idiosyncratic Difficulty Levels: As you successfully complete runs, new and harder levels open up. In order of increasing difficulty, the names are: Anecdotal (easiest) -> Theatrical -> Melodramatic -> Dramatic -> Heroic -> Mythical -> Devastating.
- Instant-Win Condition: Reaching the glowing goal square on the opposite end of the map from your starting position will finish the level and cause any surviving enemies to retreat. This is the only way to finish the battle at Camlann, as reinforcements will continue to appear until either all of your units are killed or someone reaches the goal, and whoever does gets the honor of fighting Mordred in a Duel to the Death.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: If you find yourself in a situation where it looks like you're sure to lose, you can choose to flee the battle and try to take a different route. This is not without its drawbacks: 1) Your party takes a severe morale penalty, as the battle will be counted as a loss; and 2) if your main character or an ally is attacked during the battle and you decide to run before you reach the goal or kill all the enemies on the map, that character will die.
- Morale Mechanic: A sword-shaped bar at the top left of the screen indicates the morale of you and your followers, rising after successfully completing a battle, and falling if someone gets injured or dies, or if a battle drags on for too long. If the meter empties completely, the battle is lost and you'll be forced to retreat.
- Offing the Offspring: What can happen if Arthur is the one to face Mordred.
- Point of No Return: After fighting your way through Mordred's guards in Camlann, either Arthur or whoever reached the exit will face Mordred in a one-on-one duel. The game will warn you that not only can you not retreat after this point, but your moves can't be taken back, either.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: In addition to some of the heroes and villains of Arthurian legend, some peasants will also join your cause under the right conditions.
- Sheathe Your Sword: Sometimes it's better not to act too aggressively towards the enemies you face. If you show some characters mercy, they might join you.
