Maladum: The Forbidden Creed - When Your Dungeon Crawler Accidentally Summons a Sci-Fi Frog-Beast (and Dark Magic)
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Battle Systems' *Maladum: The Forbidden Creed* expansion is bringing dark magic, bizarre mounts, and new alien adversaries to its sci-fi-infused dungeon crawler, offering a fresh dose of chaos while the company's founder amusingly admits they're 'saving gamers from themselves' by pacing releases.
Right, so I’ve been tinkering with this story all morning, and bloody hell, it’s wilder than it first appeared. You know that feeling when you cast a spell and it works a bit too well, opening up a portal to something unexpected? That’s kind of what Battle Systems seems to have done with their latest expansion for *Maladum: Dungeons of Enveron*, aptly titled *Maladum: The Forbidden Creed*.
Now, for those who haven’t stumbled through its elaborate 3D maps yet, *Maladum* is a dungeon crawler that snagged a spot on Polygon’s 'best board games of 2024' list. And fair dinkum, that’s no small feat in a year packed with cardboard goodness. This new narrative expansion is finally hitting retail pre-orders on August 7th, with a full release on September 8th. This means that if you weren’t one of the million-dollar Kickstarter backers last year (and let’s be honest, most of us weren’t), you can finally dive into the forbidden depths. My mate Samantha Nelson over at Polygon initially got the scoop on this, chatting with Battle Systems founder Colin Young, and trust me, it’s got some fascinating tidbits that reveal a bit about the philosophy behind tabletop game design. (You can check out her full article on Polygon for all the nitty-gritty details).
First up, let’s talk about the vibe. *Maladum* might look like high fantasy on the surface – dungeons, monsters, adventurers – but here’s the clever bit: it’s actually set in the far future of Battle Systems’ cyberpunk game *Core Space*. So, what you’re seeing as ‘magic’ and ‘monsters’ are, in fact, nanites and aliens doing their alien-y, nanite-y things. It’s like discovering your wizard staff is actually a highly advanced plasma cannon disguised with some glitter and a bit of string. Always a neat twist, that.
But *The Forbidden Creed*? Oh, it doubles down on the chaos. Young, the wizard behind the curtain, made an interesting point to Polygon. He reckons, “You really do need to save gamers from themselves.” His reasoning? Overwhelming players with too many expansions too soon can ruin their experience. A cautious optimism, perhaps? Or is it a savvy way to manage expectations and ensure players properly grok the core game before unleashing the elder horrors? I lean towards a bit of both. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Like trying to juggle three new spells and a flaming sword on your first day at magic school. You’d probably just set your own trousers on fire.
So, what *are* these forbidden delights that might overwhelm us? Well, for starters, there’s *dark magic*. As if the existing *Maladum* magic wasn’t dangerous enough – prone to 'unexpected effects' – now you can dabble in powers so potent they might just corrupt your character, leading to a temporary loss of control. It’s the tabletop equivalent of equipping that cursed artifact that gives you insane stats but also makes you occasionally attack your own party. High risk, high reward, and probably some hilarious wipeouts.
Then there are the companions. And by companions, I don’t just mean your bog-standard goblin sidekick. Young teased a “huge almost frog-like creature” that offers tons of extra storage but feeds on magic. So, you’ve got to keep it fed with items, or it’ll just randomly pilfer something it’s supposed to be protecting. Genius! It’s like having a backpack with teeth that demands tribute. This is the kind of design choice that sparks genuine curiosity: does it add strategic depth, or just another layer of frantic inventory management when you’re cornered by a rampaging Urmek Bruteck?
Ah, yes, the Urmek. These are the new adversary faction, a shamanic alien species that Battle Systems has apparently spent ages designing to ensure they look less like fantasy goblins and more like, well, *aliens*. They’ve got aggressive drones, hulking Brutecks, and they ride into battle on Drecks – sharp-toothed, hairless beasts. Their shamanic leader can chemically enhance their buddies and conjure terrifying plant abominations. It sounds like Battle Systems wants to challenge players’ existing strategies and force them to adapt. “You can lift the adversary out of the core game and plug these guys in,” Young said, promising a fresh experience for the core box. That’s clever observation from their end, recognising that replayability often comes from shaking up the opposition, not just adding more of the same.
And speaking of riding into battle, *mounts* are a thing now – and not just for the enemies! The expansion introduces various bizarre creatures, from a 'quadrupedal avian' war beast to a 'bison-like creature with four eyes and massive tusks,' that player characters can ride. This implies larger maps and new combat dynamics, which is always welcome. No horses or dogs here, mind you. Young explicitly stated those pull him “thematically straight out.” Gotta appreciate that commitment to weird, non-terrestrial biodiversity.
Rounding out the newness are four peculiar adventurers, including Aurora Mundsdotir, a 12-year-old apprentice blacksmith who wields superheated hammers (chained to her arms, naturally), and Rex Nairn, a demolitions pioneer. There’s also T’or Raan, a four-armed marksman prone to berserker rages, who prefers range – probably a good idea when you’ve got four arms flailing in close quarters.
Beyond the game itself, Battle Systems is revamping their user interface and online tutorials to make the game more accessible. This is a genuinely good sign, mate. Nobody wants to spend half their gaming session fighting the rulebook. And let’s not forget their roots: Battle Systems was a terrain company first. Their separately sold terrain sets – crypts, mines, sewers – are scaled for D&D and other grid-based TTRPGs. Their next crowdfunding effort is even for a Hyberian terrain set with a forge and tavern. “If people have not seen it before and they’re [playing] D&D and the DM lifts the cover off this, it just transforms that experience immensely,” Young pointed out. And he’s not wrong. Good terrain elevates a session like a well-timed critical hit. It’s technology serving the players, making the immersive digital tea leaves of the game world even more real.
*Maladum: The Forbidden Creed* is available for preorder now at $69.99 and launches on September 8th. It seems like Battle Systems is expanding its weird, futuristic fantasy world in genuinely intriguing ways, even if Colin Young is politely trying to save us from ourselves in the process. Reckon I might just be tempted to get myself one of those frog-beasts.
Tags: board games, dungeon crawler, tabletop RPG, game expansion, indie games
Original article: Polygon