Warlord: Britannia vs Awaji
Before Awaji, Darkmatter Games made Warlord: Britannia — a Roman officer, an expeditionary force, ancient Britain. Same studio, same first-person command idea, different empire. Here's what carried over, what changed, and whether the first game is worth your time.
Side by side
| Warlord: Britannia | Warlord: Awaji | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Roman expeditionary force in ancient Britain | Samurai conquest of Awaji island, 14th-century Japan |
| Perspective | First-person commander, fight in the line yourself | Same — the formula that made the series |
| Soldiers | Legionaries in marching camps | Named samurai who gain experience individually |
| Map | Britain | Awaji rebuilt from real heightmap data, real temples and shrines |
| Politics | Tribal Britain | Shrine aura system + warrior monks as quasi-diplomacy |
| Price | $19.99 | $24.99 (10% launch discount ended) |
| Steam record | 1,939 reviews, Very Positive | Launched Sep 9, 2026 — 7 reviews in the first hours |
What the first game's record actually says
1,939 reviews with about 1,700 positive — an 88% positive share, Steam's "Very Positive" band. For a solo-scale studio selling a genre nobody else builds, that's a strong record, and it's the single best reason to trust Awaji's rough launch day. The studio has shipped this exact kind of game before and supported it.
The flip side, stated by the studio's own players: the first game was technically rough too. Reviewers of Awaji echo it — you don't buy this for the polish, you buy it because nobody else is doing it. That trade has been consistent across both releases.
Should you play Britannia first?
If you're unsure whether the genre is for you, Britannia at $19.99 with four years of patches is the calmer entry — and its Roman military detail is the series' origin. If the samurai setting is what pulled you in, start with Awaji: the stories are separate, the systems are clearer, and its launch discount has ended — both games are full price now. Nobody needs to play them in order.
One more angle: the history
- Darkmatter says the weapons, armor, structures and names in both games come from extant literary, iconographic and archaeological sources, with expert consultants on samurai warfare for Awaji.
- The day-one community hub already has players debating the historical accuracy of specific units — that conversation is half the fun for this audience.