At the Gates (video game)
At the Gates is a 4X strategy video game by Jon Shafer, the lead designer of Civilization V. Like Civilization V, the game is played on a hex map. Players control a barbarian tribe, and their aim is to accelerate the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The map changes with the seasons, and resources are gradually depleted, forcing the players to migrate their tribe.
| At the Gates | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Conifer Games |
| Publisher(s) | Conifer Games |
| Designer(s) | Jon Shafer |
| Engine | Microsoft XNA |
| Platform(s) | Windows, OS X, Linux |
| Release | January 23, 2019 |
| Genre(s) | Strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
After realizing he missed being able to work on a video game instead of managing its production, Shafer first announced At the Gates in 2013, after stepping away from former employer Stardock. The game was partially funded through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, raising $106,283 in March of that year. Originally scheduled for release in June 2014, the game was still unfinished even as Shafer began working for Paradox Interactive full-time in May 2017, with development continuing in Shafer's spare time. Conifer Games released At the Gates on January 23, 2019, after spending seven years in development.