If you love the depth of 4X strategy games (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) but your schedule doesn’t exactly allow for a 12-hour marathon session of Civilisation, German indie studio MixedMoonGames might have just solved your problems.
The developer has officially announced the first public playtest for its upcoming title, Monarchs at Play, and it’s arriving sooner than you think. Starting April 24th, 2026, players will have a chance to dive into a streamlined strategy experience designed to be conquered in about 60 minutes.
What is Monarchs at Play?
Described as a “turn-based 4X strategy with a board game soul,” Monarchs at Play strips away the cumbersome micromanagement often found in the genre. Instead, it focuses on high-impact city planning and tactical building placement.
The core loop revolves around a deceptively simple mechanic: placing buildings. By chaining adjacency bonuses and optimising resources, you’ll grow your influence and outsmart rival monarchs.
Key Features include:
- Rapid-Fire Sessions: Finish a full campaign (solo or multiplayer) in roughly one hour.
- Deep City Planning: Choose from over 50 buildings with powerful combo potential.
- Unique Monarchs: Six different leaders, each with special abilities and exclusive structures.
- Non-Traditional Combat: Instead of standard unit-stacking, you’ll use military pressure from buildings to seize territory.
- Victory through Glory: Win by accumulating the most Glory through trade, culture, or conquest.
How to Join the Playtest
The “Monarchs at Playtest” (yes, the devs love the pun) runs from April 24th to May 1st, 2026.
If you want to get your hands on it early, MixedMoonGames has made it easy:
- Steam: Head over to the Monarchs at Play Steam Page and hit the “Request Access” button for the Playtest.
- Discord: Join the official Discord server for early access opportunities and to chat directly with the developers.
What’s in the Playtest? You’ll get access to a tutorial to learn the ropes, a single-player mode against bots on procedurally generated maps, and six handcrafted challenges where you can compete for the high score on the leaderboards.
The Verdict
It’s rare to see a strategy game try to condense the “just one more turn” addiction into a lunch-break-friendly format. With its vibrant art style and focus on “cosy but competitive” gameplay, Monarchs at Play is definitely one to watch.
The full game is slated for release at the end of 2026. For now, mark your calendars for April 24th and get ready to claim your crown.
Are you a strategy fan who struggles to find time for long campaigns? Let us know in the comments if this “one-hour 4X” sounds like your kind of empire-building!
Find out more here – https://s.team/a/4179890
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