Dune fans got to experience life on Arrakis when Dune: Awakening launched last year, partially because the Dune franchise in general is bigger than it has ever been. Between Dune: Awakening and director Denis Villeneuve’s film series starring Hollywood heavy-hitters like Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya, it’s the best time to be a Dune fan. Now, a new game like Dune: Awakening is headed to Steam. It’s not directly connected to the Dune universe, but it’s heavily inspired by the whole franchise.
The game is called Lysward, and it’s expected to come to Steam sometime in the near future. Although it’s still in development, Dune: Awakening players who have been wanting a change of pace from the MMO formula will want to keep this single-player title on their radar. Set in a sprawling and challenging desert, Lysward is a survival adventure experience that takes many aspects of Dune: Awakening and repurposes them in a brand new way.
6 Things to do After Beating Dune Awakening
This Dune: Awakening end-game guide will provide critical information for players to figure out what to do next after completing the game.
Every Feature Confirmed for Lysward So Far
- Single-player
- First-person perspective
- Desert map
- Strange creatures
- Survival-focused gameplay
- Resource management
- Tool and item crafting
- Magical abilities
- Speeder vehicle
- Companion character
In Lysward, Players Are Trying to Survive Life on an Unforgiving Desert Planet
Unlike Dune: Awakening, players don’t create their own character in Lysward. Instead, players take on the role of the mysterious Kiran. All that is known about Kiran is that he’s a “fugitive experiment.” His memory has been wiped, leaving him to survive without any knowledge of his life up until that point. Not having something similar to Dune: Awakening‘s character creator may be a turnoff for some gamers, but Lysward‘s intriguing protagonist and the mystery surrounding his origin could be a good selling point for those who enjoy diving into a character’s secrets. If anything, Kiran is more akin to Paul Atreides.
Balance the critic averages
Balance the critic averages
Easy (6)Medium (8)Hard (10)
Lysward’s Desert Could Be Just as Challenging as Dune: Awakening’s Arrakis
The most obvious similarity between Lysward and Dune: Awakening is its harsh desert environment. Arrakis serves as the main centerpiece of Dune‘s story, and because of this, Arrakis’ deserts are some of the most iconic settings in science fiction. Lysward also aims to make this challenging environment a central piece of the gameplay and narrative. It’s going to be hard to live up to Dune: Awakening‘s take on the planet, but Lysward’s own desert is promising its own unique set of challenges
.
On Lysward‘s planet of Zenit, the sun never stops shining, with perpetual daytime making survival particularly challenging. If players don’t manage Kiran’s hunger and thirst properly, the desert’s heat will quickly begin to weigh on the protagonist. Overheating means certain death, so managing resources is one of the most important things in Lysward. Resources in Dune: Awakening are just as important, so Lysward‘s focus on management and survival is bound to resonate with a lot of players.
Parts of Lysward‘s world are trapped in eternal night instead of constant sunlight.
Players who enjoy Dune: Awakening‘s crafting will also get more of that with Lysward. Trying to find the best farming routes in Dune: Awakening for crafting materials makes exploring the desert much more rewarding, and Lysward is making this a major part of its gameplay. Speaking of exploration, getting around Lysward‘s sun-scorched deserts is made even easier with a vehicle called a Speeder. It makes getting from Point A to Point B a lot easier, but driving this vehicle isn’t as simple as it sounds. It still requires maintenance. After all, this wouldn’t exactly be a challenging survival game if vehicles could survive the desert without any issues.
Kiran has a companion named Gjorna who helps with researching the desert and offers useful upgrades like new crafting recipes.
Lysward May Not Have Spice, But the Game Features Its Own Unique Resource
Spice is at the core of Dune‘s story. This substance is the most valuable resource in all of Dune, and Lysward is playing with this concept in its own interesting way. There is no Spice to be found in Lysward, but there is Amri. This is a powerful, magical substance that comes from the rays of Zenit’s sun. Kiran can gain powers from the Amri that help make collecting resources easier. It’s a compelling paradox. On the one hand, players can gain Amri from the sun. On the other hand, though, staying in the sun for too long will kill Kiran. This requires a delicate balancing act that is bound to make Lysward even more of a fun challenge. The best survival games tend to feature some kind of mechanic like this. Otherwise, players could just stay in the sun all day and make Kiran incredibly overpowered.
“The energy flowing through your Amri device is more than just a tool—it’s the key to your survival. Master its power to overcome the challenges of this unforgiving world. Whether you’re facing scorching heat, treacherous terrain, or mysterious foes, the Amri magic will be your greatest ally. But beware: only those who truly understand its potential will thrive.”
Two Amri abilities have been revealed for Lysward so far. One of these abilities is called Tremor, which allows Kiran to gather resources from a distance and can be used for combat. The second ability gives Kiran the power to purify water and even grow trees to farm resources.
Curious Gamers Can Check Out Lysward Before It Even Launches
At the moment, Lysward doesn’t have a release date set in stone. However, a free demo just recently launched on the official Lysward Steam page that players can try out right now. Developer Snowcastle Games hasn’t made it clear if Lysward is eyeing a 2026 launch. It could be a little while before the game is ready to come out, but having a demo is a promising sign that development is hopefully nearing the end point.
Dune: Awakening is one of the best modern MMORPGs out right now, but some players may be ready to experience its features in a single-player game. Lysward boasts a lot of the features that make Dune: Awakening so good, but it implements them in its own special way. For those who have been craving a game with a desert world and protagonists that are equally mysterious, Lysward might be worth adding to one’s Wish List.
