Former Mount & Blade modders are making Kinstrife, a medieval mosh pitter set in 13th century Germany

Another option if you're looking to spend hours watching scores of chainmailed lads and lasses grunt in fields

Arrrrrrrrrghhhh. Slash. Thunk. Well, we're a man down. It's a good thing that in the genre of strategy sandboxes built on massive medieval melees, there's always someone else about to wander into the frey. Cue the entrance of Kinstrife, a Mount & Bladey game built by former Mount & Blade modders who fancied bringing the hack and slashing to 1200s Germany, with its wandering knights and powerful robber barons.

"Transport yourself to 13th-century Germany during the turbulent period of the Great Interregnum," reads the blurb from Kinstrife devs Finitude. "Amidst the power struggles among great houses vying for the imperial throne, the land is plagued by banditry and lawlessness. The Rhine, a crucial artery for commerce and travel, falls victim to a higher class of brigand - the Raubritter (robber barons). Exploiting their positions for wealth and power, they impose back-breaking tolls and engage in kidnapping to ransom those who dare traverse their territories."

Much like Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, your job's to survive in this world of roving blokes with swords and bickering rulers by starting out as a squire and graduating to the rank of knight. To get there, you'll need to roam the land, visiting different historical locations to earn cash, grab gear, and amass a band of merry followers which gradually grows into an army.

You'll need that band of helpers to come out on top in multi-side clashes between you and other gangs who'd quite like to batter your brains in via simulated physics-laced blows, either so they can steal your expensive helmet or boast about how much more chivalrous they've become by doing so. Duels, tournaments, and sieges await, so yeah, make sure you pack some human shields to absorb and arrow or two.

It's tough to tell just from the Steam page and fresh trailer released to mark the publishing deal Finitude have just signed with Manor Lords and Menace publishers Hooded Horse how much the game'll have in its locker when it comes to setting itself up as more than a Mount & Blade imitation. Though, the grounding of the setting in the real world Holy Roman Empire certainly seems like it could offer a Kingdom Come Deliverance 2-ish twist on Bannerlord's fantasy continent which mashes different medieval cultures into one manageable map.

For now, Kinstrife's release dateless, but you can wishlist it on Steam if you're so inclined.