A World War 1 Aviation RPG
July 1914. The guns of August are about to change everything.
Steam Demo Available Now · Early Access Q4 2026 · $14.99
You arrive at the Royal Flying Corps as a fresh-faced pilot in the summer of 1914 — before the guns of August change everything.
Over four years you'll witness the birth of air combat, survive the Fokker Scourge, endure Bloody April, and fight through to the Armistice. Earn your reputation through kills, missions, and service — and with it, medals that open doors to better aircraft and postings across seven Western Front aerodromes. Every pilot who survives the war has a different story. Most don't survive.
Rotary Knights is a World War 1 aviation RPG that puts you in the cockpit of history's first fighter pilots. Set on the Western Front from 1914 to 1918, you'll fly historically authentic aircraft — from unarmed pioneer scouts to the Sopwith Camel, SE.5a, SPAD XIII, and the Red Baron's Fokker Dr.I.
This is a text-based RPG — not a flight simulator. Think of it as the career mode from classics like Wings (1990) and Red Baron, rebuilt as a deep branching narrative with RPG progression, aerodrome management, and tactical dogfight combat. Create your pilot, choose your specialization (fighter, recon, or bomber), and make choices that shape your war from the first reconnaissance flights of 1914 through the massive air battles of 1918.
Face Richthofen, Voss, and Boelcke in hex tactical dogfights. Build a personal rivalry with a nemesis who remembers every encounter. Rise through five campaign arcs — each with a boss who fights dirty — while earning your way from Mentioned in Despatches to the Victoria Cross. Every pilot who flies the full war has a unique story. Rotary Knights is one of the deepest WW1 games ever made. The demo is available now; Steam Early Access is planned for Q4 2026.
Complete one-choice flight paths join manual dogfight plotting; Steam Cloud and achievement bridges compile in separate full/demo profiles; major Western Front landmarks and the 1914–1918 line now share one historical timeline. More than 1,750 automated tests maintained.
Six narrative acts now span the entire war. Acts 3-6 add 93 new events, 10 missions, and 5 campaign boss arcs from the Somme through the Armistice. Full QA pass with 997 automated tests.
Hex wargame-inspired dogfights for ace and boss encounters. Altitude bands, 8 maneuver types, deflection-angle gunnery, and doctrines that match each ace's real fighting style.
Your reputation is everything. Complete missions, survive ace encounters, and serve with distinction to earn merit — and with it, seven British decorations from Mentioned in Despatches to the Victoria Cross. Each medal unlocks new aircraft and new opportunities. HQ is watching.
Each aerodrome along the front has its own commanding officer, mission focus, and character. Start at Saint-Omer, earn your way to the elite fighter station at Clairmarais — or request a transfer to a recon wing where your observation skills matter more than your kill count.
Altitude bands. Combat abilities. Named German aces who remember you — Richthofen, Voss, Boelcke, Udet, and more. Every dogfight is a tactical puzzle — climb for advantage, dive to escape, or trust your gunnery and go head-to-head. When the Red Baron's Jasta appears over Arras, you'll know real fear.
Three origin stories shape your pilot's temperament — Daring, Disciplined, or Shrewd. Your personality affects how your CO assigns missions, how aces treat you in combat, and how your squadron remembers you. No two pilots play the same war.
Your base is your lifeline. Build workshops and hangars, manage fuel and ammunition, assign personnel, and juggle HQ assignments with deadlines. When the Spring Offensive hits and supplies run thin, every decision about where to spend resources matters.
History unfolds whether you're ready or not. The front line shifts with real offensives — the Somme pushes east, the Kaiserschlacht drives west. Supply strain rises during major battles. Aircraft evolve from unarmed scouts to Sopwith Camels. You survive, or you don't.
Glowing text on dark backgrounds, hand-crafted sprite art, and warm sepia tones inspired by WWI-era photography. Every screen is designed to feel like a squadron logbook.
Play the demo now, then follow the full-war Early Access campaign and post-launch updates:
Available Now
A guided opening campaign slice plus Quick Dogfight and a combat gauntlet. Learn tactical plotting, meet a hunting pair, and carry damage through to the Black Falcon.
Q4 2026 · Windows · $14.99
The complete 6-act campaign from 1914 to the Armistice: 350+ events, 43+ missions, 37 aircraft, tactical formation fights, an evolving Western Front, aerodrome management, medals, temperament, rivals, and permadeath.
Target: Q1 2027
Deeper squadron relationships, additional mess-hall life, NPC memory, renown, and new narrative events shaped by player feedback.
Target: Q2 2027
Additional scenarios, aircraft mastery depth, staff-officer stories, economy tuning, and challenge modes built from Early Access play data.
Target: Q3 2027
More local front-line shapes, deeper sector control, forward-base decisions, expanded patrol variety, and planned Linux / Steam Deck support.
Target: Q4 2027
Full release after Early Access balancing, accessibility, platform verification, final audio mix, and community-guided polish.
Roadmap is subject to change based on community feedback. Join our Discord to help shape the game.
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