The long-awaited successor to Heroes III is playable now and it is free. A surprise demo of Olden Era is live on Steam. If there has been a lack of quality turn-based strategy games that bring back that classic feeling, this release may be a step in the right direction.
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era positions itself as the official prequel to the Heroes of Might and Magic series. It returns to the genre’s origins with deliberate design and clear intent.
Heroes of Might and Magic Olden Era Demo
The game is developed by Unfrozen. This is a studio that is building the experience using the structure and logic that made Heroes of Might and Magic III a benchmark in strategy gaming. Even though the release date was delayed to 2026, the team has released a public demo available now on Steam. This early access preview is part of the lead-up to the Steam Next Fest that begins on October 16, 2025.
The demo features four factions. While the full game is planned to include six, having four to try now offers a meaningful early look. The available factions show the expected variety. The Temple faction includes armored knights. Sylvan brings elemental spirits from forest regions. Necropolis offers undead units and animated corpses. Dungeon includes dragons and deep cave-dwelling beasts.
Players can also test three distinct gameplay modes. These are Classic, Single Hero, and Arena. Each offers a different structure and pace. The full experience will include strategic empire management, deep turn-based tactical combat, and role-playing mechanics with character progression.
Minimum requirements:
- Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit)
- Processor: Intel Core i5 10300 or AMD Ryzen 3 3100
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT, or Intel Arc A580
- DirectX version: 11
- Storage: 8 GB of available space
- Note: solid state drive is required
Recommended requirements:
- Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit)
- Processor: Intel Core i5 12400T or AMD Ryzen 5 5500
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660, AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM, or Intel Arc A750
- DirectX version: 12
- Storage: 8 GB of available space
- Note: solid state drive is required
What Makes HoMM III Important and Why Olden Era Matters
Heroes of Might & Magic III remains one of the most respected turn-based strategy games. Its blend of map control, tactical battles, and faction depth continues to be a standard. Many later games borrowed from it but few matched its balance or longevity.
Olden Era keeps the classic formula but rebuilds it for modern machines. You still build cities, gather troops, grab resources, and go into battle. The mechanics feel familiar but move smoother and react faster.
Heroes of Might and Magic Olden Era Demo Summary
With a full launch scheduled for 2026, this early build gives players a way to try the mechanics and assess performance. Based on current content and community feedback, Olden Era looks like a faithful and modern return to the style of Heroes III.
The demo is now live on Steam. The full reveal is planned for Steam Next Fest on October 16, 2025.