Conan: The Black Pyramid is a new project from Slovak studio Games Farm, which has decided to revisit the legendary barbarian created by Robert E. Howard. Although the developers previously worked on an action RPG starring Conan, they were ultimately unable to complete it and had to cancel the project. Now they are finally returning to the franchise, though the new game is very different from the original concept. The story and gameplay were created from scratch, and only some usable game assets remain from the previous project.
The developers gave us an early look at Conan: The Black Pyramid during a presentation featuring the first trailer and an extended gameplay demo. They explained the core mechanics, the structure of individual runs, character customization options, and how they intend to set their game apart from other isometric roguelikes. Peter Nagy, founder and head of Games Farm, and Matej Hudák from publisher Grindstone answered our questions.
Games Farm is one of Slovakia’s longest-running game studios. According to Nagy, it has been in operation for 26 years and has focused primarily on RPGs throughout its history. Its best-known projects include Shadows: Awakening, Vikings: Wolves of Midgard, and, most recently, Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel. The studio head says the last of these has been their most successful game to date. The developers also self-published it through Grindstone, which helped them gain more attention and achieve better results.
Conan also marks the team’s return to one of the fantasy franchises that has been with them since childhood. Nagy recalls the older films, books, and comics that shaped his connection to this world. Games Farm now wants to combine its action RPG experience with a roguelike structure to create a game that stands on its own as an entry in the Conan universe.
This time, the story focuses on an older Conan. The hero once ruled as king of Aquilonia, but eventually decides to leave the throne behind and set out on what may be his final adventure. Mysterious voices and whispers he cannot resist draw him to the Black Pyramid. When he reaches its entrance, he discovers that the place holds far more than ancient stone corridors.
The Black Pyramid exists outside ordinary space and time. Its environments change, taking the hero to different eras and regions as he journeys through it. This lets the creators explore multiple periods of Conan’s life, as well as stories and characters from other parts of Howard’s universe. In the demo, we first saw an older Conan trying to find the pyramid’s entrance. Once he crossed the threshold, the environment began to change, gradually taking the player to different historical periods.
The pyramid itself is more than just a backdrop. Its secrets and origins form the foundation of the story, and Conan encounters other characters on his journey and faces the being that summoned him there. The demo made it clear that the two will trade plenty of sharp dialogue. The unknown adversary toys with Conan, taunting him and calling him a plaything. The barbarian, naturally, has no intention of being intimidated and repeatedly challenges his enemy to face him at last.
Players won’t be limited to a single hero. Games Farm plans to gradually introduce other well-known characters from Howard’s world. The developers mentioned characters such as Solomon Kane, Kull of Atlantis, and Dark Agnes, with the roster expected to grow during development. Each character will have their own set of abilities and distinct combat options, so these won’t be merely cosmetic variations on the main character.
Gameplay is built around an isometric action combat system that combines standard attacks, special abilities, and defensive mechanics. Conan always has a primary and secondary weapon. If his main weapon is for close-quarters combat, the second is generally for ranged attacks. Both have their own attack combos and charged attacks.
The basic combo consists of three strikes. The first two are faster, while the third is a more powerful finisher that deals the most damage. Weapons can also be charged for an area attack that hits multiple enemies at once. The same principle applies to secondary equipment. Players will need to think about when to use each attack and how to combine them based on the situation.
Parrying attacks is another important part of combat. Conan can parry enemy strikes, briefly unbalancing his opponent and creating an opening for a counterattack. The mechanic also works against projectiles, letting players deflect arrows or magic bolts back at their source. Not all enemies react the same way, however. Stronger foes may need to be parried successfully several times before players can knock them down and set them up for another attack.
Players can also dodge dangerous attacks and perform executions. A meter gradually fills during combat, and once it reaches the required level, it allows Conan to deliver a brutal finisher. The game also features dismemberment and other bloody effects to emphasize the raw violence of Conan’s battles.
The developers stress that they don’t want to create slow, methodical action. Instead, their goal is intense, fluid combat in which players constantly combine attacks, defense, and movement. Matej Hudák compared it to a kind of combat dance. The mechanics are designed to give players enough options to respond to each situation while making them feel as though they are controlling a real barbarian.
The presentation also showcased several types of enemies. Some attack from a distance, while others carry shields and can block incoming strikes. Players will need to find a way around their defenses, as enemies can turn quickly and react to the player’s movements. Stronger units and more challenging rooms also appear as the game progresses, so simply attacking recklessly may not be enough.
Conan: The Black Pyramid uses a roguelike structure in which players progress through a series of rooms. After clearing each one, they earn rewards and choose where to go next. The rooms differ not only in the enemies they contain but also in the types of rewards they offer. Some provide gold, while others offer new combat upgrades or artifacts.
Artifacts are one of the key pillars of character building during a run. These special items are hidden in the pyramid’s ruins and grant unique abilities and bonuses. Players collect and combine them to gradually create their own build. However, these upgrades only apply to the current run. Their effects reset when the run ends, and players will need to start with a new combination on their next attempt.
The dice system is an interesting feature that affects the randomness of rewards. Players can collect different dice during a run and add them to a shared pool. They then roll the dice, and the result affects the rarity of the items or upgrades they can receive. In the presentation, the developers showed how a few dice increased their chances of getting a coveted legendary item. This isn’t simply a matter of passively accepting random rewards; players can influence their luck to some extent.
Another important element is the so-called Combat Masteries. These upgrades improve specific combat abilities and can be found in special rooms. They enhance parrying, attack combos, or charged attacks, for example. This lets players strengthen the mechanics that best suit their playstyle.
Runs are divided into several sections. After a series of regular rooms, players come across a merchant, where they can spend their collected gold on artifacts, combat upgrades, or a healing item. A miniboss fight follows. Players face two such opponents on each floor of the pyramid, before confronting the main boss at the end and completing the run if they defeat it.
The presentation showed several different environments that the pyramid transports players to. After the opening swamps, Conan ventured into wilderness inhabited by the Picts. A medieval region with a village and cultists was also shown later. Each area has its own enemies, atmosphere, and challenges. Environments can also change within a single region, for example depending on the time of day.
It has not yet been decided whether minibosses will change as well. The developers are currently working with a model in which the pyramid shifts to a new era after a miniboss is defeated, and players encounter the same opponent again when replaying that section. The team is also discussing a greater degree of randomness. Fixed minibosses would let players learn their patterns and gradually overcome them, while random encounters would add more variety to individual runs. Testing and player feedback will also help determine the final approach.
An important part of the character system is the so-called Veils, which can be understood as alternative combat forms or loadouts for each hero. For Conan, each one changes his primary and secondary weapons, abilities, and overall fighting style. Players can choose the setup that suits them best and gradually unlock more options.
In the demo, the developers first showed Conan in his classic form, with combat based on combining weapons. Later, they unlocked a pirate form that uses a one-handed sword and shield. Sword attacks are faster, and the shield can be used not only to block but also to lunge at enemies. Other combinations will also appear in the game, including a two-handed mace and throwing weapons.
Veils will also play a role in the planned co-op mode. Conan: The Black Pyramid is set to support two-player co-op, allowing players to combine their characters, equipment, and abilities. The developers have not shown co-op gameplay yet, but confirmed that they are working on it and want to include it in future tests. They have not yet finalized how collected resources such as gold and dice will be shared between players. The current plan is for each player to have their own progression and resources, though the team is considering other options.
After returning from a run, players arrive at the Nexus, which serves as their home base and main hub. Here, they can explore further progression options, follow the story, and unlock permanent upgrades for individual characters. Unlike artifacts and Combat Masteries earned during a specific attempt, these upgrades remain after death. Each subsequent run can therefore be a little easier thanks to the hero’s steadily growing strength.
The developers want players to learn to combine temporary bonuses with permanent character progression. In their testing, they have found that some players unfamiliar with roguelikes often forget to use the available upgrade options and try to progress using only basic attacks. More experienced players, by contrast, can rely more on their own skills. Permanent upgrades and artifact combinations are nevertheless intended to be an important part of the experience and a way to create increasingly effective builds.
When you see an isometric roguelike action game, it’s natural to compare it to indie hit Hades. The developers aren’t shy about saying that games from Supergiant Games are among their favorites and serve as an inspiration. They particularly admire the dynamic combat, memorable characters, strong voice acting, and the way Hades unfolds its story across individual runs.
At the same time, they don’t want to make just another imitation of a successful game. They say Conan will have its own combat system, with a greater focus on the brutality and tactical options of a barbarian warrior. Its visual presentation is also intended to set it apart. While many well-known roguelikes use hand-drawn graphics or a stylized low-poly look, Games Farm is sticking with a more realistic and production-intensive approach, closer to games such as Diablo and Path of Exile.
The studio took a similar approach with Jotunnslayer, where it aimed to bring higher visual production values to a genre of games inspired by Vampire Survivors. Games Farm wants to continue in this direction with Conan, this time in an isometric action roguelike.
Hudák also explained why the genre makes sense to him for today’s players. Large RPGs often require dozens or even hundreds of hours, and not everyone has enough time to devote to such an expansive adventure these days. Shorter runs, which can take around 20 to 30 minutes, offer a complete gameplay experience while also giving players a reason to try again. The developers say a similar trend can be seen in major RPG franchises, which are increasingly moving toward shorter gameplay loops and putting less emphasis on lengthy grinding.
Games Farm is already preparing another round of testing, which it wants to open up to a wider player community. No exact date has been announced yet, but the developers say the first public tests should be available fairly soon. Feedback will be particularly important for balancing the difficulty, structuring individual runs, and determining how much randomness to include. The team recognizes that these elements can have a significant impact on how the game holds up over repeated playthroughs.
Several questions remain open for now. It has not yet been decided whether minibosses will change with every attempt, exactly how resources will be shared in co-op, or which other characters and combat forms will make it into the final game. The presentation has already made it clear, however, that Games Farm doesn’t intend to rely on the well-known franchise alone. Conan: The Black Pyramid combines the studio’s experience with action RPGs and its more recent experience with the roguelike genre, while seeking its own approach to dynamic combat, character progression, and a story set in Howard’s world.
After many years, the game returns to a franchise with which the Slovak studio has unfinished business. This time, however, it is neither a sequel nor a revival of the original canceled project. The Black Pyramid is a fresh start that gives Games Farm the chance to finally realize its original vision and bring Conan back to the action RPG genre.
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