Dustgrave: A Sandbox RPG splices Baldur's Gate 3 with Mount & Blade, and you can grab it in early access for less than $20

GamesRPGDustgrave: A Sandbox RPG splices Baldur’s Gate 3 with Mount & Blade, and you can grab it in early access for less than $20When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Digital Tribe)

Adventurers in their camp

Most RPGs have you out to save the world, or at least resolve some personal stakes, claim a macguffin or complete a prophecy.Dustgrave: A Sandbox RPG(just launched into early access) seems happy to let you pick your own goals in a procedurally generated world, as morally questionable as those goals may be.

As is the trend, Dustgrave is a fairly traditional party-based CRPG with real-time navigation, grid-based combat and a simple ‘take 2-3 actions per turn’ flow. There’s some wrinkles in there, like a more modern tabletop-inspired take on how partial successes on rolls (both in and out of combat) play out, but if you’ve played Baldur’s Gate or Pathfinder, you’ll know the ropes. But what sets Dustgrave apart is its political focus and sandbox nature.

Dustgrave: A Sandbox RPG - Game Trailler - YouTubeWatch On

Dustgrave: A Sandbox RPG - Game Trailler - YouTube

The world seems pleasantly reactive so far. Even small actions like looting from local houses and trying to sell the goods to a merchant got me called out and thrown into a (surprisingly intricate) conversation check to talk my way out of being reported to the local authorities. Stealth plays out in real-time, and crimes leave behind evidence that sticks around and which guards may notice and investigate. But it feels like the meat of the game is in the big factional power-plays changing who owns towns, villages and resources.

From the couple hours I played, it feels like everything in Dustgrave revolves around its conflicts and rivalries. Obviously doing quests and other favors for factions will improve your reputation in their eyes, but the game’s disguise system is surprisingly intricate too, allowing you to talk your way into situations, solve quests in sneakier ways, or just manipulate factions in underhanded ways. When disguised using a stolen outfit, any actions you take get pinned on the faction you’re flying the flag of, and I’m eager to see whether I can kick off a war with a few well-placed raids and murders.

My only real concern about the game at this point is that, fittingly for a dusty grave, it can feel a little bit dry. A procedurally populated world usually means less hand-written dialogue, and not many studios are up to the monumental task of filling their sandbox with poetic prose alaCaves of Qud. The game’s clean art is pleasant enough to look at, but its ‘mostly real world but with undead troublemakers’ setting also isn’t setting my imagination ablaze. Neither of these feel like dealbreakers, but perhaps missed opportunities.

Still, I’m officially intrigued with how this will grow over the coming months. Dustgrave: A Sandbox RPG isout now on Steam early access, with a 15% launch discount bringing it down to £15.70/$18.69. Innervoid Interactive plan on raising the price over time as new features and content are implemented.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

More about rpg

A Path of Exile 2 sorceress casting flaming skulls in a hellish landscape

Path of Exile 2 numberlord spends 16 straight days killing rare monsters to prove that a stat that makes loot better makes better loot

Double headed wizard man holding arms up looking sad

LatestWormhole is an impeccable arcade revival of Snake that plays like it fell off the back of Derek Yu’s vanSee more latest►

Latest

Wormhole is an impeccable arcade revival of Snake that plays like it fell off the back of Derek Yu’s van

Wormhole

Wormhole is an impeccable arcade revival of Snake that plays like it fell off the back of Derek Yu’s van

See more latest►

Most PopularThe Sims begins its 25th anniversary celebration next week with a Behind The Sims episode of news and announcementsPath of Exile 2 numberlord spends 16 straight days killing rare monsters to prove that a stat that makes loot better makes better lootPalestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 NakbaPiranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod sceneSorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our faultTeam Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40KIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anythingIf you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 offAMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fab

Most Popular

The Sims begins its 25th anniversary celebration next week with a Behind The Sims episode of news and announcements

Path of Exile 2 numberlord spends 16 straight days killing rare monsters to prove that a stat that makes loot better makes better loot

Palestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 Nakba

Piranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’

Marvel Rivals' latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod scene

Sorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our fault

Team Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40K

Is the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.

Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anything

If you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 off

AMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fab

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals