New party-based adventure RPG launches to "Very Positive" reviews on Steam, alongside launch discount
While March has already seen the launch of Esoteric Ebb and the breezy Legends of Amberland III, the genre's darkest corner just got a little deeper. Banquet for Fools officially left early access on March 5, 2026. The game introduces players to a world where hand-holding is replaced by magic and a mystery that requires a lot of active investigation. To celebrate the 1.0 launch, there’s a 15% discount ($16.99) running until March 19, which makes it a great time to jump in if you like your RPGs a bit on the "crunchy" side.
Key specs and data
Before trying Banquet for Fools, you should know that this isn't a runt-of-the-mill "follow the gold arrow" RPG. It’s set in the same world as Serpent in the Staglands, meaning it’s atmospheric, moody, and heavy with pagan lore. The 1.0 update unlocks the endgame areas like Porta Dun, which were previously off-limits to early access testers. You can expect to see some weird gods, custom spells, and a lot of reading between the lines to figure out your next move.
The developers clearly didn't want to make a game for everyone, and maybe that's why it's working. By going for a more interactive feel with this game - where you actually have to observe the world instead of just checking a quest log - they’ve captured that old-school PC RPG charm, it seems. The 91% rating is a testament to that formula - the niche audience they're targeting is loving the lack of hand-holding, even if some newer players are finding the 1.0 difficulty spikes a bit like a brick wall - the reviews say it all.
You can check out the Steam store page for Banquet for Fools here. If you’re playing on a Steam Deck (curr. $940 on Amazon, renewed), just make sure to dive into the settings and bump that UI scale up so you don't have to squint at your spells.
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