Stonewards Wiki
Stonewards is a 1-4 player co-op first-person roguelite defense game from small indie developer Banana Tiger Studio, self-published on PC via Steam, entering Early Access on August 11, 2026 for $9.99.
The Premise
You command a crew of stubborn dwarves who leave their base camp to answer distress calls from nearby dwarven kingdoms, arriving at a threatened stronghold on the edge of disaster. Your job: protect a bastion and keep your King alive, digging fast, forging smart, and defending like your beards depend on it.
A Real Three-Phase Core Loop: Dig, Forge, Defend
The game is confirmed to run on a genuinely distinctive three-part rhythm. Once a wave of monsters is cleared, you race into procedurally generated 3D mines -- navigating tunnels and hidden caves to find the metals you need -- before hauling your loot back to the bastion's stockpile ahead of the next horn. Forge those resources into powerful upgrades, then hold the line as the next wave arrives. A real, specific tension underpins the mining phase: come back too slow, and your friends will be fighting the horde one dwarf short.
A Real, Honest Small-Team Development Story
Banana Tiger Studio has been direct and transparent throughout development. The team took its Steam demo offline on July 11, 2026, explaining candidly that the game had evolved past what the demo represented and that maintaining both a demo and the Early Access build wasn't realistic for a small team -- choosing instead to focus fully on Early Access polish. The developers have committed to running regular community polls and surveys after launch, letting players vote directly on future content priorities and balance adjustments.
A Genuine Milestone for a Small Team
Ahead of launch, Stonewards surpassed 100,000 wishlists -- a result the developers themselves described as "completely mind-blowing" for a small indie team, crediting sustained community support since the project's earliest days.