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Watch trailer on Steam ↗The Ember Guardian
Ratbit Games · Published by Slug Disco
Very Positive — 84% positive (297 reviews) · 38 achievements
Last updated 7 Oct 2026
Defend the embers of hope in this roguelike strategy game set in a post-apocalyptic world. Recruit and command workers to gather resources, build your camp and set up your defenses during the day. When night falls, fend off waves of deadly creatures with powerful, upgradable weapons.
£14.20
£17.75Lowest price we've ever recorded
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Price history
Action, Adventure, Strategy · 2026 · More £5 - £15 games
Command workers to gather resources and build defenses in The Ember Guardian. As night falls, face deadly creatures with upgradable weapons to protect the embers of hope in a post-apocalyptic world.
About this game
Darkness is relentless. The Fire is your only hope. Protect it… or be consumed.
You are a Guardian, a lone wanderer carrying the last embers of a dying world. With only your wits, your weapons, and your loyal hound by your side, you must journey through the darkness, reigniting lost flames and pushing back the horrors that lurk within.
Your camp is your last line of defense. Craft ammunition, refine resources, and expand your camp to strengthen your defenses. Manage your workers by assigning them to hunt, scavenge, or guard. Unlock merchants to buy new skills and traps, or use the watchtower for intel on the approaching waves. Prepare wisely - the night will test your every choice.
When night falls, they come. Hordes of relentless creatures, drawn to the light of your fire, rushing in from all sides. Armed with an arsenal of unique weapons, you must hold the line. Modify your guns, unlock perks, unleash devastating abilities, because if the fire dies… so do you.
Each battle is a lesson, each defeat a step forward. Return to your hub between each level where you can permanently unlock new weapons, active and passive skills, structures, and even teach abilities to your dog!
Venture into the unknown, scavenging forgotten lands for resources in a variety of environments. Every expedition demands careful preparation - weapon selection and ammunition supplies play a crucial role in determining whether you'll succeed or fail... Above all, time is your most precious resource. Make sure to return to camp before nightfall, or risk having to rebuild the ashes that are left.
The flame is more than fire, it’s hope, strength, and survival itself. Protect it with everything you have and defy the darkness that seeks to consume it.
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10 or newer
- Processor: 2 Ghz
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: Graphics card with shader model 4.0+
- Storage: 1 GB available space
Recommended
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
Supported Languages
Latest news
Patch NotesOfficial
Patch 1.2.0.4: Orb Alchemist Fix & Demo Update!
Hi everyone!It's been a little while, but rest assured, we're still at work on the next update for The Ember Guardian! In the meantime, we're putting out a small patch to address a few issues recently flagged by you guys. Bug FixesFixed a bug where the player would become unable to navigate the Orb Alchemist's shop after refreshing the items.Demo UpdateIt had been a while since we'd updated the demo, and a lot of QoL fixes that we'd implemented on the main game hadn't made it through to it yet. With this update, the demo should now have parity with the main game, and the settings should carry across seamlessly!That's it for today, but we'll be back in touch as soon as we have anything else to share. Thank you for supporting The Ember Guardian!Stay fiery! 🔥Read full article on Community Announcements (NotAWisp)Patch NotesOfficial
Patch 1.2.0.3 : Late game buffs & progression fixes!
Hi there Emberlings!We have a new patch for you this week, aiming to fix some new issues that were unearthed by recent players. If you're one of the players who picked up The Ember Guardian during Tacticon, or as part of the "Bullet Bundle" with Pathogenic, thank you very much for playing our game and helping make it better for everyone!Balance ChangesB4rk-9 was having issues with target acquisition. He should now pick up targets from further away.Increased the range of B4RK-9's missile ability by 40%The Bone Reaper wasn't quite as threatening as we would want a final boss to be. We're giving him a tall glass of milk to make him sturdier and harder to slow down.Increased the Bone Reaper's health from 6000 to 8000Reduced the penalty applied to the Bone Reaper's attacks while inside the fire area from -150% to -50%Bug FixesFixed a bug where the player would not be able to heal at camp after saving and loading back into a game.Fixed a bug where merchants would sometimes keep their shops closed in the middle of a run.Fixed a bug where the gun's flashlight would automatically turn back on after using a teleporter.Fixed a bug where hunters would go idle at dusk or night after activating & deactivating a breakable obstacle.Fixed a bug where hunters would climb into the wrong towers when activating a breakable obstacle.Fixed a bug where B4RK-9 would display as unlocked before being actually unlocked in the Corrupted Heart level.Fixed a rare bug where completing a level could fail to unlock the next level in the story.The teleporter back to The Eternal Flame is now always placed outside of camp to avoid overlap with structures.Thank you again for playing The Ember Guardian, and stay fiery! 🔥Read full article on Community Announcements (NotAWisp)Patch NotesOfficial
Patch 1.2.0.2 : More Bug Fixes!
Hi Emberlings!We found a couple more bugs hidden in the latest patch, so we're releasing another small hotfix to address them. Thank you to anyone that's taken the time to report them, whether it's here on Steam, on our Discord, or anywhere else!Bug FixesFixed a bug where the German Shepherd would not use its dig ability.Fixed a bug where the Fire overlay UI would remain visible and not update across the game in Horde Mode.Fixed a bug where resetting Horde Progression with a non-default base layout wouldn't correctly reset your base layout.Fixed a bug where the Orb Alchemist would offer wrong wares after the player saved and loaded back into a game.Thank you again for your support and for playing The Ember Guardian.Stay fiery! 🔥Read full article on Community Announcements (NotAWisp)Patch NotesOfficial
Patch 1.2.0.1: Horde Mode Bug Fixes
Hi Emberlings!We're putting out a small patch today as some issues were highlighted in the wake of last week's patch. Check out the full list of changes below!Bug FixesFixed a bug where players wouldn't be able to save in the middle of a Horde Mode run.Fixed a bug where red orbs would still drop in Horde Mode, even after the Crimson Alchemist was removed from the player's camp.Fixed a bug where enemies could leave the combat area after the player triggered an Ambush Chest, which could lead to a softlock.OtherWe mistakenly reported in the announcement post last week that B4RK-9 would be unlocked after completing the Corrupted Core level. This was a mistake, as B4RK-9 actually unlocks after completing the following level, Corrupted Heart. We apologise for the confusion this caused, and the original Steam post has been edited accordingly.Thank you for your continued support and for playing The Ember Guardian!Stay fiery! 🔥Read full article on Community Announcements (NotAWisp)Patch NotesOfficial
Update 1.2: The Iron Companion!
From the ruins of the corrupted city, it awakened. Driven by long-forgotten directives, it finds you. Under your command, it will fulfil its purpose.Hi there Emberlings!We have an exciting new update for The Ember Guardian today. Read on to find out about all the changes in version 1.2.0!New Dog: B4RK-9B4RK-9 is a mechanical hound, crafted by an unknown artificer with technology beyond your reach. This new dog is ideal for spending long days exploring the wastes, with its Overclock Pulse ability increasing your mobility, as well as its ability to craft ammunition when you're far from your base. It's also equipped with a missile launcher that will track and shoot down aerial enemies, to keep the skies clear while you focus on grounded targets.B4RK-9 is unlocked in the "Corrupted Heart" level, and will be retroactively awarded to all players that have completed that level already. We hope you enjoy exploring the ruins of civilisation alongside your new companion!Edit: The announcement previously said that B4RK-9 would be unlocked after "Corrupted Core", which was incorrect. Sorry about the confusion!Gameplay ChangesWe've adjusted Horde Mode's camp budget as the current numbers ended up feeling too restrictive.Increased Initial Max Camp Budget to 100 (was 90)Increased Camp Budget Upgrades to 15 (was 10)Optimisation ChangesWe've spent a lot of time on optimisation for this patch, and players should be seeing roughly 30% less memory usage after this patch. We hope this helps keep your Ember Guardian experience as smooth as it can be!Bug FixesFixed a bug where the negative damage modifier from some weapons' alternate firing modes would carry over & stack between levels.Fixed a bug where a loud electrical noise would sometimes play upon starting a level.Fixed a bug where the player would sometimes be able to access the Crimson Alchemist and Masked Dealers' shops without paying the first time each day.Fixed a bug where multiple structures would become uncompletable due to o...Read full article on Community Announcements (NotAWisp)
