Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
A storybook RPG is a prose-led role-playing game: you read authored scenes, make consequential decisions, and use skills, checks, relationships and other systems to determine which parts of the story you see. It is closer to interactive fiction or a branching digital novel than to a real-time action RPG, but it still tracks a character’s abilities, career and long-term outcomes.
The Lich Wars uses that hybrid format for a gothic alternate-history campaign. You play a musketeer in the kingdom of Rulsthen, follow a 30-year military career through two undead wars, and shape the protagonist’s relationships, duties, promotions, battles and final fate. Psychic Software’s 2026 Steam listing describes the game as coming soon for PC.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What “storybook RPG” means
“Storybook RPG” is an editorial description rather than a formal genre standard. In practice, it identifies games that put reading, authored scenes and branching decisions at the center while retaining role-playing mechanics.
A conventional action RPG asks you to spend much of your time moving through a 3D environment, aiming attacks, managing equipment and reacting in real time. A storybook RPG instead presents a situation in prose, illustration or a staged scene. You decide what your character says or does, and the game applies its systems to determine the next passage. Exploration, combat and progression still exist, but they are delivered through a written, choice-driven structure.
#1 Best Overall
- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
- Convert USB-A Ports to USB-C: Designed to connect USB-C earphones, cables, flash drives, card readers, and other USB-C accessories to standard USB-A ports. Plug-and-play with no drivers or software required.
- Aluminum Alloy Housing: Built with a sturdy aluminum alloy shell that aids in heat dissipation and protects against daily wear and scratches. Designed to maintain a stable and secure connection.
- Compact & Travel-Friendly: The ultra-compact design allows the adapter to stay plugged into your device without blocking adjacent ports or adding bulk, reducing wear and tear on your original USB ports.
- 12-Month Warranty: Backed by a 12-month manufacturer warranty for peace of mind. Designed to meet strict quality control standards for reliable everyday performance.
The defining loop
- Read a situation. The game establishes a problem, duty, relationship or danger through authored text and supporting visuals.
- Choose a response. You select an action, attitude, allegiance or career decision rather than simply controlling an avatar in real time.
- Resolve the decision. Skills, checks, relationships, previous choices and chance can influence the result.
- Read the consequence. The next scene reflects what happened, changing later options, people, assignments or outcomes.
The result is not a linear novel with occasional cosmetic dialogue. A well-designed storybook RPG treats the player’s decisions as part of the character’s identity and state. The same event can lead to different scenes because the protagonist has different abilities, loyalties, reputation or career history.
How The Lich Wars turns that idea into a game
The Lich Wars is built around branching interactive fiction combined with character-driven RPG systems. Its main activity is deciding how a musketeer handles military service, friendships, political pressure and supernatural conflict over a long career.
Branching prose is the primary delivery system
The official description says the game unfolds through branching interactive fiction. In other words, the written scene is the main unit of play. You read what is happening, choose among available courses of action, and continue into a route shaped by that choice.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThose choices can concern ordinary service as well as dramatic crises: which duty to accept, how to treat a fellow soldier, whether to pursue a particular career direction, and how to respond when the military and the civil authorities demand conflicting things. The format makes the protagonist’s judgment as important as their ability scores.
RPG systems alter what the prose can do
Skills and skill checks give the narrative a rules layer. A character’s capabilities and prior development can open, close or modify options, while a check can determine whether an intended action succeeds. Relationships and career history add further state to the story, so a decision is not evaluated in isolation.
The announced consequences include relationships, career progression, military promotion and duties, optional content, survival and the outcome of the civil war. These are structural changes to the campaign rather than only alternate lines of dialogue. A promotion can lead to different responsibilities; a damaged relationship can remove support or alter a later scene; an earlier decision can affect who is alive when the final conflict arrives.
Rank #2
- 5-in-1 USB-C Hub: Experience comprehensive connectivity featuring a Power Delivery input, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and an HDMI port. (Note: The USB-C power delivery input port is only for connecting an external wall charger to power your laptop and cannot power peripheral devices.)
- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
- Quick Data Transfers: Accelerate your productivity with rapid data transfers using a high-speed 5Gbps USB 3.0 port and two 480Mbps USB 2.0 ports.
- 4K HDMI Display: Enhance your visual experience with a hub capable of delivering 4K resolution at 30Hz in both mirror and extend modes. Please note that this hub is compatible with MacBook (macOS 12 and newer), Windows 10 and 11, ChromeOS, and laptops equipped with DP Alt Mode and Power Delivery. Note: This device is not compatible with Linux.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
Combat is written and system-driven
Psychic Software calls the combat system “narrative-driven.” That wording distinguishes it from a separate real-time action layer. Combat is presented as part of the written account of the encounter, with the player making decisions and the game resolving consequences through skills, choices and chance.
Independent coverage has described the encounters as prose-led and influenced by tabletop play, including randomized critical-hit tables. The reported scope ranges from personal duels and small skirmishes to naval engagements and larger battlefield manoeuvres. These descriptions support a tabletop-inspired, narrative combat model, but detailed rules may change while the game remains in development.
For a player, the practical expectation is that a fight is another decision sequence in the chronicle, not a mode in which you continuously aim, dodge and swing. Preparation, character development and judgment matter because they affect how the written encounter resolves.
Illustrations and tabletop scenes make the “book” visible
The visual presentation reinforces the format. The announced feature set includes hundreds of hand-drawn illustrations and portraits, maps, 3D tabletop scenes and partial voice acting. These assets make the campaign feel like a designed historical-fantasy chronicle rather than unformatted text on a screen.
The planned narrative scale is approximately 300,000 words of hand-written material. That figure is an estimate for an unreleased game, not a final measured total, so it should be treated as a target that can change before launch.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe 1700–1728 campaign structure
The story explores the period from 1700 to 1728 in the alternate-history kingdom of Rulsthen, near Venice. You begin as a new recruit in the Rychva Musketeers, establish an origin story and form friendships before entering the Venetian War.
Rank #3
- Sleek 7-in-1 USB-C Hub: Features an HDMI port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a USB-C data port, each providing 5Gbps transfer speeds. It also includes a USB-C PD input port for charging up to 100W and dual SD and TF card slots, all in a compact design.
- Flawless 4K@60Hz Video with HDMI: Delivers exceptional clarity and smoothness with its 4K@60Hz HDMI port, making it ideal for high-definition presentations and entertainment. (Note: Only the HDMI port supports video projection; the USB-C port is for data transfer only.)
- Double Up on Efficiency: The two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port support a fast 5Gbps data rate, significantly boosting your transfer speeds and improving productivity.
- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
Recruitment and the Venetian War
The opening phase establishes who your musketeer is and which relationships matter. Origin choices and early friendships provide the personal foundation for later military decisions. The Venetian War then tests that foundation in the first major undead conflict.
The inter-war career
After the Venetian War, the game moves into a long inter-war period. The announced military career spans 17 years and can take the protagonist across Rulsthen, neighbouring countries and Western Europe. At this point, three main career paths provide the clearest high-level replay structure.
A career path is more than a label if it changes duties, promotion opportunities, optional scenes and the relationships available to the protagonist. The published description specifically connects career progression and military duties to player choices, so different runs should be understood as different professional lives within the same historical frame.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The 1727 civil war
The late-stage crisis is the civil war of 1727. Decisions made over the preceding years feed into this conflict, including the people who survived, the protagonist’s career position and the alliances formed along the way. The store description says the ending of the civil war can change, making the final outcome a consequence of the full career rather than a detached finale.
What “30-year career” means
The 30-year figure describes the protagonist’s overall military career across two undead wars and the intervening years, not 30 years of uninterrupted battle scenes. The campaign covers a life and profession developing over time: recruitment, service, advancement, relationships, changing duties and a final war.
| Announced detail | How to read it |
|---|---|
| 1700–1728 | The principal historical window explored by the prequel. |
| 17 years | The stated span of the inter-war military career. |
| 30 years | The protagonist’s overall career across two undead wars and the intervening period. |
| Three career paths | The main high-level replay axis announced for the career phase. |
| 1727 | The year in which the civil war arrives in the described chronology. |
How much do choices matter?
The game’s choices operate on several levels, so “branching” should not be reduced to selecting a different sentence at the end of a conversation.
Rank #4
- Dual Converters, Infinite Potential：Includes 2× USB C male to USB A female adapters and 2× USB A male to USB C female adapters. Perfect for a wide range of uses—tablets with Bluetooth keyboards, expand USB ports on macbook, and more. Two different converters for all your daily needs
- Next-Level 10Gbps & 3A Charging: No more slow 480Mbps, this usb to usb c adapter has a transfer speed of up to 10Gbps, allowing you to do more transferring in less time. This usb adapter fits both USB A and USB C charger, supporting up to 3A fast charging
- Upgraded Exquisite Craftsmanship: With an aluminum alloy housing and metal connector, the usbc to usb adapter is extremely durable and sturdy. Rigorously tested to withstand more than 10,000 times of plugging and unplugging, ensuring long-lasting performance
- Broad Compatible: The usb c to usb adapter widely supports all USB C/ USB A devices like laptops, tablets, cellphones, car chargers, and phone chargers. Such as compatible with MacBook Pro/Air 2023/2022, Thunderbolt 4/3 Devices,Apple MagSafe Watch 9/8/7/SE/Ultra, iPad Pro 2022/2021, Samsung Galaxy S23/S20/S10, and iPhone 17/16/15 Pro. Plug and play
- Please Note: To reach 10Gbps speed, keep the cable under 3.3 ft. For USB A Male to USB C adapters, try flipping the USB C connector. USB C Male to USB A adapters support bidirectional 10Gbps transfer within 3.3 ft
- Relationships: how you treat people can change friendships, support and later scenes.
- Career progression: decisions can influence advancement and the direction of your military life.
- Promotion and duties: service choices can affect rank and the assignments you receive.
- Optional content: some scenes or activities can become available or disappear.
- Survival: choices can determine who remains alive later in the campaign.
- Historical outcome: the conclusion of the 1727 civil war can vary.
This creates two useful ways to judge the format. Narrative agency asks how far decisions redirect events and relationships. Role-playing depth asks how much skills, checks, career development and combat systems change what the protagonist can accomplish. The announced feature set addresses both axes, although the exact number of branches and endings has not been published.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Is The Lich Wars a visual novel, an RPG or a choose-your-own-adventure book?
It shares traits with all three, but none of those labels captures the whole design.
| Format | Shared feature | Important difference |
|---|---|---|
| Visual novel | Authored scenes, character relationships and branching choices. | The Lich Wars adds explicit RPG skills, checks, career progression and narrative combat. |
| Interactive fiction | Text-led play in which decisions redirect the story. | The game supplements prose with illustrations, portraits, maps, 3D tabletop scenes and partial voice acting. |
| Traditional RPG | Character development, abilities, combat and long-term consequences. | The primary interface is reading and choosing, not continuous action control or free-roaming map traversal. |
| Choose-your-own-adventure book | Branching routes and authored outcomes. | The game tracks skills, checks, relationships, career state and chance across a much larger campaign. |
| Tabletop RPG | Rules-shaped encounters and a tabletop-inspired visual language. | It is a single-player digital game, not a multiplayer session conducted around a physical table. |
The most accurate short description is a prose-led, single-player RPG with interactive-fiction structure and tabletop-influenced presentation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do you need to play The Necromancer’s Tale first?
No. Psychic Software describes The Lich Wars as an entirely stand-alone game. It is a prequel to The Necromancer’s Tale, but the developer says prior knowledge is not required and that the two titles can be played in either order.
That means the prequel is designed to establish its own protagonist, setting and conflict. Playing the earlier game may provide additional context for readers who want the connected-world background, but it is not a stated prerequisite for understanding the musketeer’s 1700–1728 story.
Platform, release status and confirmed scope
The announced platform is PC through Steam. The official listing currently uses “Coming soon” rather than a confirmed release date, so no launch day or year should be assumed.
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
The following features are announced, with the usual qualification that an unreleased game can change before launch:
- Branching interactive fiction.
- RPG skills and skill checks.
- A narrative-driven combat system.
- Relationships, career progression, promotions and military duties that respond to choices.
- Optional content, variable survival outcomes and different civil-war conclusions.
- Three main career paths.
- Hundreds of hand-drawn illustrations and portraits.
- Maps, 3D tabletop scenes and partial voice acting.
- An estimated 300,000 words of hand-written narrative.
What is not established yet
Because the game is still unreleased, several practical details remain open. The public description does not establish a final release date, a final word count, the complete combat rules, the exact number of endings, or the full shape of every career path. The announced systems describe the intended design, not a guarantee that every mechanic will remain unchanged.
It is also not accurate to assume that “tabletop” means a literal tabletop role-playing game, or that the game plays like an action RPG simply because it includes battles. The available descriptions consistently place prose, decisions and narrative resolution at the center.
Who is this format for?
The Lich Wars should appeal to players who enjoy reading substantial authored fiction but still want their decisions to have mechanical and personal consequences. It is a natural fit if you like tracing how one choice changes a relationship years later, developing a character through a profession, and replaying a campaign to test a different career or allegiance.
It may be a weaker fit if your priority is continuous combat control, open-world traversal or a large inventory-and-build game. The central reward is not mastering a real-time moveset; it is seeing how a version of the protagonist’s life unfolds under a different set of decisions, abilities and risks.
Bottom line: how the format works in one sentence
The Lich Wars turns a 30-year musketeer career into a branching digital chronicle: you read illustrated scenes, make decisions, apply RPG systems and live with the relationships, promotions, battles, deaths and civil-war outcome those decisions produce.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Recommended Free Tools
