King of Dragon Pass was a 1999 strategy game that put players in charge of a barbarian clan settling the unexplored and very dangerous lands of Dragon Pass. It was simultaneously complex and accessible, the sort of game that could make even strategic bumblers like me feel as though we possessed some modicum of competence in the genre, and while it wasn't a hit by any measure—creator David Dunham said in a Eurogamer interview that the original release sold less than 8,000 copies—if you go to GOG you'll find its praises being sung with great enthusiasm. And now, 15 years down the road, a sequel is in the works.
Dunham revealed the sequel on his blog, where he said that although he's toyed with various ideas for a follow-up over the years, it was only a few months ago that inspiration really struck. He didn't offer much in the way of detail because it's still very early in the process, but the new game, entitled Six Ages, will be set in the same fantasy world as its predecessor and "consist of meaningful story choices tied together by the economic challenges facing a small community."
Long-time King of Dragon Pass fans will also be happy to hear that Dunham is getting the band back together to make the new game. "I’m excited that I will again be working with [King of Dragon Pass] writer and game designer Robin D. Laws, and artists Jan Pospíšil (who did illustrations for King of Dragon Pass) and Pat Ward (who I worked with at Shenandoah Studio)," he wrote. "And when the game is further along, Liana Kerr will again be doing QA."
There's a website up at sixages.com, but aside from links to King of Dragon Pass and the Six Ages development blog, it's basically empty. It does contain one noteworthy bit of information, however: "We have ambitious plans and a small team, so we don't expect to release anything before 2016." Hey, it's been 15 years. What are a couple more at this point?
