BEAST: False Prophet is a brutal, turn-based tactical RPG that has joined our catalog in its early access not too long ago. Serving as False Prophet’s debut title, BEAST aims to redefine the genre by telling a gritty, grounded story with morally ambiguous characters combined with gridless, turn-based tactics gameplay at the forefront.

With the game being currently discounted -40% on our platform, we wanted to talk to its creator, Piotr Pacynko to shed more light on this awesome, ambitious project.

He told us about the beginnings of the studio, what inspired BEAST: False Prophet, what can players expect from it, and more!

Hope you’ll enjoy the read.



Being founded in 2019, you guys are a young studio with BEAST: False Prophet being your first project. Could you tell us a bit more about yourselves and how did your journey in game development start?

[i]The Company was founded on 22 August 2019 by me. In the beginning there was an idea to make a smaller turn-based 2D stylized black-white-red game more similar to The Banner Saga. However, the pre-production and analysis phase confirmed our belief that we should aim high and we pivot towards a 3D turn-based tactical role-playing game mechanically similar to XCOM - more specifically Gears Tactics with Diablo vibe (which was from the beginning). We obtained external funding at the end of 2020 and from that moment we have been working on the BEAST video game we are talking about today.

The three most important things about us: First of all, people are our greatest value - most of them are our friends. Second of all, we play similar games, especially strategy and RPGs and of course turn-based tactical games getting more and more game achievements. Last but not least, our ambition is to create high-quality, dark, mature and demanding video games that give the player unforgettable experience - the one we expect - that’s why BEAST: False Prophet is XCOM meets Diablo (games that we played when we were young), or to be more specific Gears Tactics when it comes to gameplay and Diablo IV when it comes to graphics.[/i]



Now, when it comes to the BEAST itself, the early access launched at the end of October 2023. We can already see the game being praised for its gameplay and dark setting. Could you shed more light on how the idea for the game was born?

Steeped in my passion for 16th century history and inspired by my travels through the landscapes of Poland, Romania and Ukraine, I have found the idea for the world of BEAST: False Prophet. I was in the Carpathians, where I happened to attend a funeral ceremony in an Orthodox church. It took place in a historic wooden church. The chants, incense and dark atmosphere inspired me to create our game. As a dedicated fan of tactical video games like X-COM and miniature skirmish games like Mordheim, I longed for a mix of some kind of historical authenticity, grimdark fantasy and tactical depth. The hauntingly beautiful locales I explored on my travels served as muses, influencing the in-game settings. The final effect of the game design gives players a unique journey through carefully crafted territory, echoing the history and strategic challenges with a slight twist of madness.



I often delve into the timeless realm of Gothic pseudo-medievalism. The fictitious self-proclaimed Kingdom of Carpathian Ruthenia is nestled in Transylvania, igniting the creative musings with echoes of Bram Stoker's "Dracula." The trusty coachman Igor draws inspiration from the iconic Igor in the 1974 film "Young Frankenstein." However, the most chilling tales emerge from real historical figures, weaving horror through the annals of history and legends — figures such as Vlad the Impaler and Elizabeth Bathory. There are also great old movies: “Mask of Satan” (1960) and “Vij” (1967) - both based on the novel by Nikolai Gogol. If you are a BEAST: False Prophet fan, you must see them!



One of the most unique elements of the game is its titular BEAST system. How does this system work and how does it affect the gameplay?

[i]Increasing Insanity isn't just a visual transformation; it's a visceral experience. The whole environment and characters change, enemies become more aggressive and get new abilities, and you hear haunting voices in your head. By reaching 500 Insanity points you can turn into the titular Beast. The impact extends to gameplay, where you gain new abilities, but everything comes with a price…

To further intensify the strategic depth, using special skills included in Beast Mode consumes the level of earned Insanity points, so if players want to stay in Beast Mode longer, they must be even more instinctive. They also have autonomy in choosing their path. They don't have to go into exercising the beast and developing it. They may try to exorcize her.[/i]


In summary, the BEAST System isn't just a feature; it's a reflection of your moral choices, reshaping the very essence of the gameplay. This system becomes a testament to the dynamic interplay of morality and power.



Coming back to the development process – what would you say are the biggest obstacles that a young studio like yours can encounter? And if you’ve had such experiences, how did you overcome them?

[i]At the beginning, the biggest challenge was obtaining funds for production. I just wasn't able to finance such an ambitious game entirely with my own money. We only made a prototype demo and the money ran out. After a year and a half of searching, we managed to attract the first significant investor. In total, we obtained financing for production in three rounds. It can be said that the entire production actually started after November 2021.

We never planned to publish the game ourselves, so the next step beyond developing the game was to acquire a game publisher. It was also very difficult to find a publisher who would pay for the game production and at the same time cover the costs of distribution and marketing. Unfortunately, the crisis on the games market, which was most noticeable in 2023 (when we were ready to sign a contract with a publisher), meant that publishers were no longer willing to invest in ambitious projects, which forced us to finally release the game ourselves in the form of early access.[/i]



We also had a big problem with porting the Unreal Engine from version 4 to 5 back in 2022. We were one of the first games to try to do this. The problem was so complicated that even Epic Games support was unable to help us. We experienced a production delay of several months because of this. Fortunately, in my former career path, I met a very experienced and talented engine programmer. I asked him for help. He faced the problem and solved it immediately. You could say that he saved our production. I won't make the decision to change the engine during production again - they said it would be easy, and when it came down to it, no one knew what to do.

Now back to the BEAST – what kind of players will enjoy the game the most in your opinion?

We target a group of players who are turn-based tactical gaming enthusiasts, particularly fans of titles like X-COM, Mordheim: City of Damned, Gears Tactics. However, we also focused on creating a brutal gaming experience set in a grimdark world. Our goal is to deliver the best quality to those players who are looking for a more intense and immersive tactical challenge within a sinister twist.

Is there any message you’d like to say to our community before they try out your game?

We believe that there is a beast in every man… either You will exercised or exorcised it. You decide! If you like what we do, buy our game, play it, leave a review. You can suggest improvements and report bugs on our Discord server. We invite you to co-create our game!



And there you have it! We’d like to thank Piotr very much for talking to us, and thank the whole False Prophet crew for bringing this awesome project to life.

We recommend you to check out BEAST: False Prophet and make full use of the discount. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to embrace the Insanity!