South of the March is an in-development RPG featuring a hybrid of JRPG-style turn-based combat and semi-open world visual novel exploration. While it is full-featured with a self-contained narrative planned for roughly two hours of gameplay, it's also intended to act as a prototype and companion game for a larger future project.

The Story

Set in the same fantasy world as The Salt Keep, the story of South of the March presents a new narrative in which two mercenaries, Gemma and Cyrus, take on a contract for the struggling boss of a work-stopped lumber camp. The laborers are afraid, armed locals are staking their territory just across the river, and there are rumors of something unnatural deep in the woods beyond. Gemma and Cyrus have seen chaos and violence in their lives, but their time in South of the March threatens to show them the greatest dangers in Eadmore, both natural and man-made.

The Gameplay

Players control the party as they meet NPCs, explore a detailed fantasy world, and do battle with a variety of enemies. Navigation and dialogue are handled through:

• Gradually unveiled maps for overworld exploration
• A combination of hand-drawn illustration and text description
• Dialogue complete with individual portraits for all characters

While the combat and character progression systems include:

• Turn-based JRPG-style battles with a focus on strategic use of skills
• Upgradeable equipment that unlocks skills and grants bonuses
• Equipment interchangeability allowing for customizable builds 
• Shops, smiths, and other merchants to buy, sell, and upgrade items
• Unique Critical Hit and Stress mechanics that add combat complexity
• A camping and cooking system for injury and stress recovery

The game is primarily designed to be played with a keyboard or gamepad, though it can be played with a mouse as well. 

The Full Release

The current plan for the full version of South of the March is a free release sometime in spring of 2024. It's planned for release on Itch.io and Steam, and will run on PC and Mac. Given that the game is also intended to function as a prototype for an upcoming project (which will be announced later on), it may receive significant updates after release. 

If you want to support development, please consider:

• Following here for regular dev blog updates
• Purchasing a copy of The Salt Keep (and leaving a rating or review!)
• Following on Twitter, Bluesky, or Tumblr
• Signing up for the Small Gray Games Patreon