Rock Paper Shotgun has previewed Arise Dark Lord, an upcoming indie game that mixes action gameplay, real-time strategy, tower defence and base building, casting the player as an evil overlord commanding an undead army against humanity. The pitch stands out for blending several distinct genres into one experience while giving villains a rare starring role, and for its visual style, which evokes illustrative fantasy maps in the vein of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

Players directly control the Dark Lord, raising wights and directing them with the mouse, while collecting relics that enhance sorcery and allow defeated foes to be revived into the player's forces. Set across an overworld map, the game involves defending a central stronghold with turrets, barricades and traps, or invading enemy territory, with some form of resource management underpinning construction choices. A prototype is already playable on itch.io, though the full release isn't expected until 2027, and it can be wishlisted on Steam in the meantime.