About the Dark Unknown

Before you lie the lands of Ellusus- high fantasy, powerful magic, and deep history. A land healing from the scars of war and betrayal, and now threatened anew with the possibility of rebellion and the growing shadow of the Dark Unknown. Can you grow strong enough to save the kingdom?

Welcome to Ellusus

Chronicles of Ellusus: The Dark Unknown is a retro-RPG in the style of the Ultima games of the mid-80s, with an eye towards incorporating modern design sensibilities while keeping the retro feel. It is designed, written, and coded by the one-man team of Adam Burr, working as Tapestry of Ages Games. In this game, you will:

  • Explore a large, open world with over a dozen cities and major settlements

  • Delve into caves, dungeons, and the mysterious underworld

  • Partake of and participate in a living world with day/night cycles and full schedules for the inhabitants

  • See the world and the people in it change as a result of your actions

  • Learn powerful and flexible magic—throw a fireball, fix a garment, cause an earthquake, enchant a sword

  • Find secrets, unearth history, and follow in the footsteps of the past—to ensure that the world will have a future

The Dark Unknown has been in development, on and off, for a decade. Art for the game’s manuals and supplemental materials was the goal of a Kickstarter at the end of 2015, and the game’s tentative release date is now “early 2021,” pushed back due to the global pandemic. It will be available both on itch.io for pay-what-you-can and also in a physical edition, including a cloth map, in-world Almanac booklet, and dragon scale trinket.

The game feelies: map, booklet, and dragon scale. (Player reference guide is still a prototype.)

Extras

Visit here to find links to a Soundcloud, read Design Diaries written over the period of development, and eventually more!