The Last Fortress — First Gameplay Prototype

The Last Fortress is a stylized fantasy action RPG prototype built in Unity.

The core idea is simple:

**Day: loot.

Night: survive.**

During the day, the player explores dangerous regions outside the last remaining fortress of humanity. These areas are filled with monsters, resources, strange characters, forgotten stories, and small discoveries.

At night, the long-term goal is for monster waves to attack the fortress, forcing the player to defend the gate, survive the night, and use gathered resources to rebuild humanity’s final home.

This first prototype focuses on the foundation of that loop.

Core Gameplay

In this build, the player can move through a forest-like test environment using top-down WASD controls and fight enemies with direct sword combat.

The combat is designed to be readable and immediate. The player attacks with a sword, enemies react through hitboxes and health logic, and defeated skeletons break apart into bones and loot.

The goal is not to build a complex RPG system immediately, but to first make the basic actions feel clear:

• Move through the world
• Fight enemies
• Defeat skeletons
• Collect bones and gold
• Interact with NPCs
• Complete a small quest
• Unlock a companion

Loot and Progression

Skeletons can drop bones and gold.

Bones are currently used as an early quest resource, while gold is planned to support future upgrades, trading, and fortress progression.

In the final game, resources will be used to improve the fortress, unlock NPCs, build defenses, and prepare for stronger night attacks.

The fortress begins broken and small, but the player should constantly feel progress with every successful expedition.

Klapperich Questline

One of the first questlines introduces Klapperich, a sarcastic skeleton NPC who is missing parts of his body.

The player collects bones, returns them, and triggers a small assembly cutscene. After Klapperich is restored, he becomes more than just a quest NPC.

He becomes a companion.

This creates the foundation for future companion and escort systems, where certain characters can follow the player, support them, or become part of the wider fortress progression.

Companion System

After the quest is completed, Klapperich can be called by the player and will follow them through the environment.

This prototype currently includes:

• Companion unlock logic
• Follow behavior
• Stop-follow behavior
• Companion call input
• Basic companion UI feedback

It is still early, but this system is important for the identity of the game. The world should not feel empty. Strange survivors, lost souls, and unusual companions should become part of the player’s journey.

Long-Term Game Loop

The long-term structure of The Last Fortress is built around two phases.

During the day, the player leaves the fortress.

They explore regions, fight monsters, collect resources, solve small puzzles, find relics, and complete quests.

Then they return home.

At night, the fortress is attacked.

The player must prepare defenses, protect the gate, survive monster waves, and use the rewards from exploration to rebuild the last fortress of humanity.

The loop is simple:

• Explore by day
• Gather resources
• Return to the fortress
• Upgrade and prepare
• Defend at night
• Survive
• Begin a new day

Current Prototype Features

This build currently includes:

• Top-down WASD movement
• Isometric camera perspective
• Sword combat
• Hitbox-based damage
• Enemy health
• Enemy AI
• Skeleton enemies
• Skeleton death effects
• Bone and gold pickups
• Player health HUD
• Resource counters
• Dialogue interaction
• Klapperich questline
• Skeleton assembly cutscene
• Companion unlock
• Companion follow behavior

Development Direction

The Last Fortress is still in active prototype development.

The current focus is building the core gameplay foundation before expanding into larger systems like fortress upgrades, night waves, bosses, NPC buildings, crafting, and region progression.

The direction is clear:

**Explore by day.

Return home.

Rebuild.

Survive the night.**

This is the first playable step toward that vision.