The Disciples series occupies a distinct, moody corner of the strategy RPG genre. With the release of Disciples: Domination, developer Artefacts Studio attempts to bridge the gap between legacy lore and modern mechanics. While it successfully evolves the franchise’s tactical depth, it occasionally stumbles over its own narrative delivery and inconsistent difficulty.

The Queen’s Burden

Set 15 years after its predecessor, Disciples: Domination places players in the boots of Queen Avyanna. After years of neglecting her realm and hiding from her past, Avyanna finds her kingdom fractured. The story follows her journey from a disillusioned recluse back to a sovereign of authority as she attempts to reunite old companions and quell a rising rebellion.

The narrative is presented through a blend of semi-static cutscenes, dialogue trees, and journal snippets. While the world-building is rich, the delivery can feel a bit basic. Avyanna’s motivations are revealed slowly, and while the “fallen ruler” trope is compelling, the presentation doesn’t always match the epic scale of the ideas being discussed.

Ruling from the Throne

The most significant addition to the formula is the Throne Mechanic. As you meet various factions (the Empire, Legions of the Damned, Undead Hordes, Elven Alliance, and the returning Mountain Clans) you trigger requests that must be settled back at the palace.

Sitting on the throne transforms the game into a light “ruling sim.” You’ll make instant choices that balance gold, resources, and faction favor. Gaining favor isn’t just for flavor; it provides tangible stat boosts to units from those factions. It’s a simple but effective layer that makes the act of being a Queen feel integral to the gameplay loop.

Tactical Combat and Customization

At its core, Disciples: Domination is about turn-based skirmishes. The combat utilizes a small-format grid, limiting armies to 10 units or fewer with three “back row” support slots.

• Strategic Depth: Success relies on managing initiative, utilizing elemental weaknesses, and positioning tanks to protect fragile casters.
• The Hero’s Path: Avyanna can be respecced into four different classes for a small gold fee, offering great flexibility in how you approach encounters.
• Recruitment: While you can recruit and upgrade units at your castle, you’ll also find unique, named characters in the field. However, these companions feel a bit static compared to Avyanna, lacking the deep customization options that would have made them truly stand out.

The battles are snappy and move at a brisk pace, which is fortunate, as the game leans heavily on optional encounters that can feel repetitive over time.

Performance and Difficulty

A Note on Challenge and Balance Before beginning your journey, the game allows you to select from various difficulty levels to tailor the experience to your preference. However, even with these settings, the game struggles with consistency. Some encounters, specifically dungeon and major boss battles, feature steep difficulty spikes that feel jarring compared to the standard skirmishes. While the options are there, a more even hand in the balancing would have helped the gameplay feel less like a series of hurdles and more like a steady, immersive progression through Avyanna’s world.

On the technical side, the game is a delight. The visuals are atmospheric, and the score is genuinely inviting. For players on the go, it performs well on the Steam Deck, though the text size is notably small. It also features native gamepad support, making it a natural fit for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

The Verdict

Disciples: Domination is a mechanical triumph held back by a somewhat “passable” narrative execution. The combination of tactical combat and kingdom management provides a satisfying loop for strategy veterans, even if the companions and voice acting lack a bit of polish.

We were given a Steam key for review purposes and Disciples: Domination is available right now for PC via Steam, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S