Even when the player isn’t watching, villagers act of their own free will—working, fleeing, and sometimes even betraying the player. *Bellwright* is a medieval open-world survival game woven together by NPCs who live just like “real people.”
The game begins with the protagonist starting from scratch, falsely accused of murdering a prince, and follows his story as he leads a rebellion to liberate his homeland, Calvenia.The game’s appeal lies in its design, where economic power gained by developing settlements directly translates into combat strength, and conversely, the “fame” earned through battle enables further expansion of those settlements—creating an inseparable link between management and combat.
The developer, Donkey Crew, is the studio behind the nomadic survival MMO *Last Oasis*, released in 2020. Snail Games USA is serving as the publisher.In December 2025, the largest free update to date, “Maiden Voyage,” was released, and the game has continued to evolve consistently even during Early Access.
In this article, we present an interview with the *Bellwright* development team. We took an in-depth look at the game’s present and future, covering plans for a major story overhaul, features surrounding “horses” to be added in the next update, and even the team’s philosophy of “deliberately not rushing the official release.”
──Where did the inspiration for *Bellwright*’s setting and story originally come from?
Donkey Crew: We’re all fans of the “good old-fashioned medieval style” that *Bellwright* portrays. The thatched roofs and stone and earthen walls create an immersive, grounded medieval world that feels as though you’ve traveled back in time.
As for the story, we were determined to depict the beginning of a rebellion—starting from nothing and eventually growing into a vibrant economic hub centered on the liberation of Calvenia. Players will journey across different biomes and even an entirely new continent, where a wide variety of challenges and decisions await them.
──How complex is the NPC AI for the inhabitants?
Donkey Crew: It’s quite complex. Our world is fully simulated, and NPCs go about their lives even when the player isn’t present. This applies to all characters, including bandits and neutral villagers.
All characters act according to a clear priority system—behaving, so to speak, like “real people”—as they physically move around to gather resources, manage production, and defend their settlements.
──How do you balance combat, survival, and management in a single game?
Donkey Crew: These elements are all interconnected. In the early stages of the game, the player handles basic survival tasks themselves, but as they build a village and hire more residents, they can delegate daily production tasks to them.
The system is designed so that this economic foundation directly translates into combat capability. To expand your settlement and hire better villagers, you need “renown,” which is earned through combat.
──Are there any unfinished story elements planned for addition during the Early Access period?
Donkey Crew: It’s hard to go into detail because we don’t want to spoil anything or raise unrealistic expectations. What I can say for now is that there’s still plenty more to come, and we’re currently working on a remake of a fantastic story. We’re just as focused on how players who play primarily for the story—as much as for base-building—will receive it.
Our main goal is to ensure the story and gameplay harmonize and coexist, so that everyone can find something exciting in the experience. Honestly, I feel that what we’ve shown so far is still less than half of what we want to present to our players.
──Please tell us about the new quests added in the latest update. Compared to previous content, what would you say makes them stand out?
Donkey Crew: The content we’ve released so far—especially on the first map—was designed to support the gameplay, so from both a technical and player perspective, those quests weren’t particularly complex. For various reasons, they didn’t get a chance to truly shine back then.
With this quest (from the gamescom demo), we wanted to showcase the new standard of quality that quests will reach as they’re added to the game going forward. This includes a higher level of storytelling, interactions with in-game characters, and the sense of immersion that was previously lacking. Of course, the quest’s structure has been modified and shortened for the demo.The final version will differ from what you just saw, but the core structure will remain the same.
──The game is currently in Early Access. What areas do you plan to improve moving forward?
Donkey Crew: Right now, we’re focusing most of our efforts on every aspect related to “horses” for the next update. This includes cavalry and logistics. In addition, we’ll be addressing the detailed improvement requests we’ve received from our team and the community.We’re also constantly working on optimization. Especially after the PlayStation and Xbox releases, we’re moving forward with efforts to certify the game for Steam Deck, as well as the ongoing development of cross-play and dedicated servers.
──It’s been a while since the game entered Early Access—do you have a rough timeline for the official release? Also, do you plan to transition directly to the full version, or will you make a gradual transition through a series of major updates?
Donkey Crew: For the same reason we haven’t prepared a public roadmap, we aren’t making any specific statements about the official release date.We don’t want to make promises we can’t keep. Rather than cramming everything into one massive “1.0” release, we’re taking a phased approach toward the official release. Since the start of Early Access, we’ve been releasing major content updates two to three times a year, striving to keep the game fresh and engaging for all players—whether they’re new or returning.
──For readers who haven’t played *Bellwright* yet, what kind of players would you recommend it to most?
Donkey Crew: We strive to ensure that players of any skill level or playstyle can enjoy *Bellwright* in their own way. Some focus on strategic combat and completing quests across the world, while others immerse themselves in building breathtakingly beautiful settlements.
While we aim for a system where players can play at their own pace, the further you advance by defeating bandits and liberating villages, the more pressure the world exerts in return. We’re conscious of designing the game to respond to any playstyle while maintaining a satisfying challenge.
──For players who played at launch but haven’t returned in a while, is there one thing you’d like to tell them about what’s changed the most?
Donkey Crew: There have been so many changes that it’s hard to sum it all up in a single sentence! Over the two years since Early Access began, we’ve been working on optimizing and expanding nearly every game system.
Notable major additions include the “Halmare Islands”—a completely new map—livestock management with farms, and the fortification of walls and settlements. As announced in our latest trailer for gamescom, “horses” will also be added to this list in the next update.
──How has player feedback during Early Access influenced the game’s direction so far?
Donkey Crew: While we have our own overall goals and plans for the final form of *Bellwright*, player feedback plays a very significant role in shaping the game.Immediately after an update, or while we’re planning what to do next, we regularly check discussions on Discord, Reddit, and Steam to see what players like and what they don’t.
It’s always deeply rewarding to post a changelog and see the moment when community members notice the features or fixes they suggested.We also operate a public preview branch on Steam, where anyone can test upcoming builds in advance and share feedback or bug reports directly with us on Discord. We take all of that into consideration as well.
──After players have finished playing through the game, what do you hope will leave the strongest impression on them?
Donkey Crew: We’d be thrilled if players felt a sense of accomplishment through our immersive world and diverse settlement-building system.Starting with nothing and growing into a renowned leader who commands a massive rebellion—along with memories of intense combat, satisfying settlement building and management, and recruiting and customizing companions—should give you the feeling of having embarked on a true journey.
That said, we plan to add even more content through Early Access, so there are still plenty of memories to be made!
“Bellwright” is currently available in Early Access for PC (Steam).
