The Killing Stone

The Killing Stone combines occult card combat with a narrative adventure set in the 17th century. As the Maven, you visit the estate of the cursed Svangård family near the Arctic Circle. Between ritual duels, you explore the house in first person and investigate the fate of the late Mariken.

Figures on the magical game board are brought to life; their cards, spells and contracts determine whether the souls of individual family members can be saved. Development and publishing are handled by the studio Question.

The Windows PC version launched in early access on Feb 18, 2026. The first three family chapters, related card decks and optional rituals were already playable; the final chapter was still missing.

Version 1.0 is announced for Oct 21, 2026, along with the first native console versions. In the new fourth chapter The Reckoning, previously built decks and decisions are set to come together. Until release, this remains an announced milestone, not one already reached.

Since February, The Killing Stone has been available on Windows PC via Steam. For Oct 21, 2026, the full PC version as well as new native releases for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S have been announced. The announcement also names Epic Games Store and Microsoft Store as additional PC stores.

The official announcement does not confirm versions for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch or Switch 2. Any backward compatibility is not a separate native release.

Duels take place on the ritual board Fanghella. Cards summon animated creatures and trigger spells. How they work together depends on placement, your deck composition and the right order of actions.

In the reserve system, players can hold back units or boosting effects and send them into active combat later. Using the reserve does not necessarily mean playing all strong cards right away; instead you plan several turns ahead.

Steam lists Windows 10 (64-bit), a Ryzen 5 1400 or Core i7-4770K, 12 GB RAM, DirectX 12 and 10 GB storage as minimum configuration. Example graphics cards on the list are GeForce GT 1030 with 2 GB, Radeon R7 360 and Intel Arc A310.

The recommended configuration lists Windows 11, Ryzen 5 3600X or Core i7-9700K, 16 GB RAM and GTX 1060, RX 580 or Arc A750. These are requirements for PC, not for the announced console versions.

Each member of the Svangård family has their own card deck. Before certain duels, you can negotiate terms with the demons. The consequences reach beyond the single encounter: favorable deals can grant lasting benefits, risky contracts bring permanent drawbacks.

Since the available rituals are limited before the finale, choosing opponents and contract terms becomes part of the overall strategy. Repeated runs unlock further card combinations and alternative outcomes.

Outside the duels, the Maven explores the remote manor, speaks with family members and animal companions, and learns more about Mariken's final days. The game combines conversation, exploration and combat instead of telling the story solely through card text.

Branching dialogue and the outcomes of the soul contracts are set to affect how the individual fates end. Question describes the revamped narrative structure as a key focus of development up to the full version.

The early access includes three major story arcs with their card collections and additional ritual tasks. The team explicitly planned the final sequence for the full version.

The Reckoning is set to release on Oct 21, 2026 as a fourth chapter, in which the advantages and disadvantages accumulated from earlier encounters come into play. The announcement does not yet make this finale available content.

The official Steam page lists German menus and subtitles, but no German dub. According to Question, the English text and voice acting can be experienced in modern language or in a language inspired by the 17th century.

The Killing Stone is listed as a single-player game. Steam lists achievements and cloud saves. A confirmed co-op or PvP mode is not part of the product description.