Thujone is an indie story-driven turn-based RPG set in the vast megastructure of Echo City. Players take on the role of Lunatyc, a figure foretold in prophecy, as they navigate districts filled with ancient ruins, holy sites, and forgotten secrets. The game blends narrative choices with exploration and combat customization in a single-player experience focused on uncovering personal and world mysteries.
Gameplay
The core loop centers on venturing through Echo City's mist-shrouded districts, where players scavenge for loot and materials while evading or confronting threats. Combat involves a selection of over 20 weapon types, including shotguns and railguns, that can be modified with modules to adapt to different situations. Builds range from heavily armored approaches that emphasize counterattacks to agile styles that prioritize initiative and positioning.
Exploration draws from dungeon-crawling traditions, with players solving puzzles hidden in notes, checking for traps, and gathering records that reveal layers of history. A key element is the mobile base, the torpedo gunboat Maroko, which players upgrade using gathered resources. Improvements cover engines, storage, repair facilities, and specialized amenities for a companion character. These upgrades directly support longer expeditions and resource management.
Story progression ties into these systems through choices that influence relationships and outcomes. Players decide whether to embrace a destined role or pursue personal goals, with consequences that shape interactions in the city.
Game Modes
Thujone operates as a single-player narrative experience with no multiplayer components. The focus remains on a continuous campaign where exploration, combat encounters, and dialogue choices advance the plot. Players progress through structured areas like Districts 4 and 1, balancing combat readiness with investigation of the environment. The design encourages replay through different build paths and decision branches rather than separate modes.
Progression systems integrate seamlessly into this single-player framework, allowing gradual customization of weapons and the Maroko base as the story unfolds. This structure supports a deliberate pace suited to uncovering unreliable accounts and tracing the evolution of ancient faiths within the megastructure.
Story and Setting
Echo City functions as an ancient megastructure where immortality has altered society over countless years. The old order has faded, leaving zealots, opportunists, and hidden plots in its wake. Players encounter sites tied to the Eastern Church and the ruins of Ilan, the City of a Thousand Pillars, while piecing together truths from fragmented records.
The narrative centers on Lunatyc's return and the burden of prophecy, with personal stakes involving a figure left behind in Alexandria. Themes of salvation, deception, and eternity emerge through interactions and discoveries, presented via text and environmental storytelling.
Is It Worth Playing?
Thujone suits players interested in narrative-driven indie RPGs that combine turn-based combat customization with base-building elements and lore exploration. Its single-player focus and emphasis on choice-driven progression appeal to those who enjoy deliberate pacing and building distinct playstyles through weapon modules and upgrades.
The game is in early development stages, with a public demo planned for late 2026 to early 2027 that will showcase core mechanics including the prologue and initial hub area. Those drawn to story-focused adventures with resource gathering and companion elements may find value in following its progress through Early Access. The current state prioritizes foundational systems over extensive content, so expectations should align with an ongoing development process rather than a complete release.
