What Stonewards is
Stonewards is a first-person roguelite defense game where a crew of dwarves leaves base camp to answer distress calls from nearby dwarven kingdoms. Each mission drops you at a threatened stronghold on the edge of disaster. The loop is simple: dig, forge, defend. Monsters attack in waves, and if the kingdom falls, the mission is over. Between waves you get time to prepare, and that preparation is where runs are won or lost. The game is in Early Access, so expect it to still be taking shape.
Playing it with your group
You can play solo or with up to three friends, four dwarves total. The work splits naturally: someone digs in the mines while others stay near the walls, and everyone meets back at the forge to spend what was hauled out. Communication matters here, because the mines run on a clock. If a player lingers underground gathering loot, the rest of the crew defends the kingdom one dwarf short. Coordinate who goes deep, who repairs, and who covers the gates before the horn sounds.
Digging and forging
After each wave, procedurally generated mines open up. You explore twisting tunnels and hidden caves for precious metals, rare materials, and shiny rocks worth hauling back. The clock starts the moment you drop in, so grab what you need and get out. Back at the stronghold, mined resources go into crafting arrows, repairing walls, and unlocking randomized upgrades. Those upgrades stack in different directions — raw strength, strange powers, tougher walls — and each run hands you a different set, so no two attempts build the same dwarf.
Holding the line
The monsters want one thing: breach the stronghold. You hold the walls, cover the gates, and use every crafted tool you have. When outer defenses break, fall back, regroup, and keep fighting from inside. Survival means the mission continues; losing the kingdom ends it. The pressure comes from timing — mining too long, forging too slowly, or splitting the crew badly leaves the walls thinner than you planned.