Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown - Early Access Starts Today!

06 Nov 2024Developer post

Source: Steam Community (opens in a new tab)

Greetings fellow Nysians,

Today marks a huge milestone as we prepare to release our first major title, Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown, which has today launched into Early Access on Steam. We’re also offering a 20% discount for players that pick up the game before 10AM 13 November PST/ 7PM 13 Nov CET/ 5AM 14 Nov AEDT, so jump in and start your reign of the Kingdom of Nysamor now.

Watch video on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Our hearts are full of gratitude, excitement, and, honestly, a little disbelief. Four years ago, a team of passionate friends came together with a dream to bring Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown to life. We believed in a story and a world that we hoped would mean as much to you as it does to us. Every part of Thrive: HLTC was crafted with love, and knowing that you've been there cheering us on has meant the world.

To those of you who have followed us from the very beginning, thank you for believing in us. Your encouragement during the tough times, your feedback, and every single message kept us going. We couldn’t have reached this milestone without your support and dedication.

To new players just joining us, welcome! We’re thrilled to have you here, and we can’t wait for you to step into this world we've spent years building. We hope it brings you joy, sparks your imagination, and maybe even inspires you in some way.

As you explore the game, know that you’re part of something special, a community that helped make this dream a reality. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being part of this journey. We’re excited to hear your stories, your adventures, and to share this world with each of you.

With endless gratitude,
- Branden, CEO/Creative Director

Early Access FAQ

Why is Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown coming out in Early Access?
- We’re releasing Thrive into Steam Early Access so that players can experience all the game already has to offer, with up to 20+ hours of single player campaign gameplay! We also hope to incorporate player feedback into our updates in the leadup to 1.0 to make the game as best it can be at full release in 2025.
What can I expect in the Early Access launch of Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown?
- Collect and harvest resources and build your legacy through effective planning, advancement and a detailed tech tree.
- Place city structures, set up road networks, build defenses, and assemble a powerful military to exert your will.
- Secure your kingdom’s reputation through choices in the narrative event system across three distinct Acts, that allow you to make tough decisions that can permanently alter the lives of your people, your settlement, and the world around you.
- Choose whether your reign is Benevolent or Tyrannical. A Benevolent ruler shows compassion, while a Tyrannical ruler takes pleasure in exploitation and torture - both paths have their advantages and challenges. Be mindful of the legacy you want to leave behind.
- Adventure in a single-player experience for solo play or play in up-to-four-player Co-Op or PVP multiplayer.
- Siege castles, plunder trade routes, or confront fantastical Waelgrim creatures in RTS combat, alongside or against other players.
What languages will be available in the Early Access launch?
- We’ve localised our game in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Simplified Chinese.
What are my goals in the Early Access launch?
- As you begin your journey to take over your kingdom in Nysamor, we want players to enjoy the fundamental building blocks of survival city building games - build, fail, optimize, admire and progress! Make moral choices during your reign that impact the lives of your civilians; take your open lands and turn it into a bustling kingdom as you accomplish progression goals and unlock new features.
Can I pause/quit at any time and come back later?
- Yes, in both single player and multiplayer modes, it is possible to make incremental saves and exit to return to your game.
How will I know when I’ve reached the ‘end’ of the game (for now)?
- Even in Early Access, Thrive is designed to be played as long as you like. As you dominate neighbouring provinces in the world of Nysamor to take over Wymaxia, you’ll progress through the challenges and succeed at achieving the goals of the type of rule you wish to become - will you be a Benevolent ruler, or a Tyrannical authoritarian? Whatever way you choose to pursue, each has their own exciting outcomes.
Is there somewhere I can find more information about how to play Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown?
- Yes! Visit our YouTube channel for developer walkthroughs, trailers and deep dives on our gameplay mechanics and more, including our upcoming Steam blogs.
What are the PC System Requirements for Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown?
Day 1 Bugs List
You may encounter some minor gameplay/visual issues that will be addressed during Early Access. Here is our initial list of known bugs to keep in mind:
- Tutorial gets completed without completing the 'Destroy the nearby Grimrot Camp' objective
- Military Units will sometimes not maintain order of position in a Formation
- Enamored mastery doesn't appear in keep after activating it
- 'Battle Report' pop-up appears for all players when any one player defeats the 'Grimrot Camp' during multiplayer session
- "Deploy Trader's Hut from the Caravan" Objective can't complete if Player Removes Trader's Hut before completing construction
- Troops/units can sometimes fail to patrol across the selected destination
- Troops/units can sometimes fail to follow and defend the 'Caravan' when assigned to it Two (2) users are able to place 'Traders Hut' simultaneously in the same small province and capture it Trade Route Caravans sometimes don't pick up correct amount of planks
- Duplicate portrait appears for 'The Envoy' during the Owed and Tithed event of Act 2
If you’d like to report a bug or provide feedback on the latest build, you can do so by joining our Discord or posting in the Steam Discussion forums. We plan to release some smaller patches and bug fixes post-launch, so please keep an eye on our Discord and social channels for those updates as they become available!
Thank you for being on this journey with us.

We sincerely hope you will enjoy the result of our work for the last 2 years. Thrive is the biggest project we've undertaken so far, and it wouldn't be possible without the support of our fans and players. From all of us, thank you.
Long may you reign, and long may you Thrive!
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Social Links:
Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown Website - Official Website
Discord - Join our Discord community
X/Twitter - Follow us @thrivehltc
Facebook - Like Our Facebook Page
YouTube - Subscribe To Our YouTube Channel
Find out more about PlaySide Studios on its official website.
To learn more about Zugalu Entertainment, please visit its official website.

Greetings fellow Nysians,

Early Access FAQ

Day 1 Bugs List

Thank you for being on this journey with us.