Ascendant Dawn

Ascendant Dawn is a grand strategy game set in a Bronze Age world. You lead a nomadic tribe, develop it through technology and traditions, and decide whether to live as peaceful herders or bloodthirsty raiders. Your tribe can found or conquer settlements and grow into an empire, but rival powers, scarce resources and the demands of survival threaten its future.

Cultures and traditions

Choose from dozens of cultures, each with its own modifiers and traditions, and one of five starts with varying difficulty. You can enact and remove traditions to shape your culture, unlock different mechanics and pursue different play styles.

A changing world

The world includes tundra, steppe, forest, mountain and desert environments, each with distinct effects. Existing empires and rising powers compete across these regions. Seasonal changes can freeze once-prosperous lands, putting any tribe there at risk of starvation.

Armies and diplomacy

Cultures have access to a range of unit types, including some unique to their culture. Raising armies requires suitable resources, population and sometimes livestock. You command troops on 2D battlefields, where terrain strongly affects the outcome.

Diplomacy and trade can help secure victory before a war begins. You can cut opponents off from vital resources such as tin and war horses.

Settlements and survival

Found or conquer a settlement to begin the path towards empire. You manage its development, build structures and guard against dangers such as disease and famine; as settlements grow and new buildings go up, the changes appear on the map.

Population is a key resource, and demographic collapse is an ongoing risk. Sending farmers to fight means less food is produced. You also manage livestock herds, which can be domesticated for additional benefits.

Technology and dynasty

An extensive technology tree lets you advance from the early Bronze Age to the height of the Iron Age. Technologies unlock abilities, structures and units.

You can recruit notables from your population and use them to build your dynasty. A strong dynasty is crucial to survival, while plots against it pose another threat.