Surprise! Didn’t expect this one to drop so suddenly, did you?
Quietly working on a big content update with almost no marketing noise has apparently become my new jam - and today I finally get to reveal it: Fabled Lands – The Castle of Lost Souls, a substantial new questline that dives straight into one of the oldest and most fascinating corners of Fabled Lands history.
And what better way to introduce it than with the incredible new cover art by Elena Katsarova, which I’ve been sitting on like a dragon hoarding treasure. I’m thrilled I can finally share it with all of you.
This adventure has a special place in the gamebook timeline. Long before the modern Fabled Lands series, before Sokara and Golnir became the open-world playground we know today, Castle of Lost Souls appeared in White Dwarf magazine in the mid-80s, then as part of the Golden Dragon series, and then resurfaced decades later in a revised edition. Now it evolves once again, rebuilt and expanded by Paul Gresty to fit seamlessly into the Fabled Lands setting. Adapting this new version into the CRPG has been a fascinating challenge - the kind of classic, atmospheric quest that works beautifully in a digital format.
A major questline with loads of hidden secrets
This DLC is not a gigantic new landmass like Serpent King’s Domain - instead, it’s a deeply branching questline woven directly into Golnir, leading you from the quiet town of Lynton through haunted hills, swamps and ruined settlements, and finally into the Underworld itself. There are several paths, several ways to prepare, and multiple endings depending on the choices you make and the secrets you uncover. If you enjoy replaying content to see alternative routes, you’ll find a lot to sink your teeth into here.
Working on this while juggling Blood Sword development (and the ever-present real-life events that definitely don’t care about release schedules) has been a quieter process - but the end result is a quest I’m genuinely proud of. It expands the world in a more nuanced direction: one that emphasizes mystery, atmosphere, discovery and player agency.
What to Expect in The Castle of Lost Souls
- A branching, replayable journey with multiple routes to the finale and several distinct approaches to the final confrontation.
- New Golnir content, centered around the town of Lynton, along with haunted roads, swamps, ruins, and story events that connect the surface to the Underworld.
- The Underworld itself, brought to life with new map, encounters and lore, tied directly to decades-old Fabled Lands concepts.
- New enemies and combat arenas, including such as spectral knights, wraith executioners, chon-chon swarms, lammasu guardians, the Rauchwurm, the Undine, - culminating in multiple confrontations with Slank himself.
- New treasures and items, including cursed artefacts, holy relics and rare rewards that carry over into your wider campaign.
- New achievements, perfect for completionists who enjoy diving into hidden conditions and alternate outcomes.
Bonus Feature: Start in Any Book
There’s one more thing I’m really happy to finally include, because it has been requested since the very early days of the game: you can now choose your starting region.
If you want to begin your adventure in the Great Steppes of the North, sail into Violet Ocean, wander the haunted roads of Uttaku, or jump straight into the political chaos of Akatsurai - you can. Pick any book you like, and the game will automatically adjust your Rank and core abilities so the region feels appropriately challenging.
This feature has been widely praised during testing, especially by returning players who want to experience the world in a different order, or by newcomers who watched a video from Book 7 and want to start right where the inspiration struck.
Just note: achievements tied to Rank or ability progression won’t unlock in this mode, since the scaling is automatic. Everything else works as normal.
It’s a feature I’ve wanted to add for quite some time, and I’m really glad it’s finally here.
Special Thanks
A huge thank you to everyone who took part in the closed beta and provided feedback - especially on the alternate routes and hidden mechanics. And of course, heartfelt gratitude to Dave Morris and especially Paul Gresty for creating a fresh, expanded version of this classic adventure, and to Elena for the evocative artwork that sets the tone instantly.
Looking Ahead
The Castle of Lost Souls DLC is available now on Steam and GOG.
The Nintendo Switch version will arrive later, and the current plan is to have it ready before the end of 2025.
Thank you all for continuing to support this game, explore its strange corners and share your experiences with the community. This chapter has been a joy to work on, and I can’t wait to hear the stories that come out of your journeys into Slank’s domain.
Full changelog follows below - and may the sun never set on your adventures… even if it never rises in the Underworld.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4184260/Fabled_Lands__The_Castle_of_Lost_Souls/
Incremented version to 3.0.0
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- Added The Castle of Lost Souls questline (50,000 words).
- Added 3 new quests.
- Added 2 new titles.
- Added 10 new achievements.
- Added 30 new encounters.
- Added 21 new enemies.
- Added 40 new items.
Exploration
- Added custom starting region selection (highly requested!).
- Added random region start option.
- Added new town maps and icons for Slank’s Castle.
Items & Weaponry
- Added various new Legendary and Mythical items.
- Added new weapons with unique stats and special effects.
- Added the Traveller’s Bag, an item that increases inventory space.
- Rebalanced multiple existing items.
General
- Added new blessing type: Luck Charms.
- Added new potion type: Potion of Dazzling Speed.
- Added new combat statuses and curses.
- Added Castle of Lost Souls enemies to the Bestiary.
- Added support for displaying black-and-white art within story text (for a future content update).
- Added a DLC slot on the main menu for The Castle of Lost Souls.
- Updated soundtrack tracks for the Underworld.
Fixes
- Fixed Ruby Citadel 3d6 damage not accounting for armour as stated in the text.
- Fixed Ruby Citadel negative damage increasing Stamina instead of reducing it.
- Fixed Net selling for 800 shards in Golnir instead of the correct 200.
- Fixed breathing shader to look natural on smaller enemies.
- Fixed an issue where enemies attacking twice could shift out of position with a delayed second strike.
Platform
- Upgraded Unity version, including the major 2025 security patch.
