Price for Freedom: Gold and Sand is an upcoming erotic CRPG featuring turn-based combat, hand-drawn art, and a strong emphasis on character-driven storytelling and player choices. It is developed by Team Dead Deer and published by Critical Bliss. The game is scheduled for release in 2026 on Steam (with a demo already available).

Story

Players take on the role of Aya, a brash, green-horn huntress who leaves her farm life behind to seek adventure, discoveries, and a new home in the independent city-state of Kaldea. Aya dreams of joining the city’s renowned hunter’s guild, but the wild savannah and untamed lands bring dangers like vicious wildlife, marauders, and monsters. She comes under the employ of Nailah, a famous and charismatic courtesan known across distant lands, whose exacting presence forces Aya to confront her impulsive nature and navigate complex social dynamics.

Set two years before the events of Price for Freedom: Avarice (the main game in the series) and about 85 years before the team’s web comic series, Gold and Sand serves as a standalone side story. It features robust world-building with rich cultures, interpersonal relationships, friendships, rivalries, and personal growth. The narrative explores themes of self-discovery, limits, strengths, and connections in a fantasy world blending adventure with intimate character moments.

Gameplay

The game combines CRPG elements with turn-based tactical combat. Players control Aya (a versatile beast-hunting generalist customizable via skill trees) and supporting characters like Nailah, who offers social and combat utility. Combat is strategic, emphasizing party synergy, inventory management, and preparation for encounters.

Exploration covers the savannah, towns, cities, caves, and the Kaldean countryside in a top-down/isometric view. Side content includes minigames (such as fishing or cooking), multiple endings, and meaningful choices that affect relationships and story branches. The game offers freedom in how players approach interactions, alliances, and progression, with a hand-drawn world inspired by classic CRPGs.

Adult content

Price for Freedom: Gold and Sand contains fully animated erotic scenes. These scenes are integrated into the narrative, tied to character relationships, romance options, flirtation, one-night encounters, or deeper emotional connections. They feature interactions with various characters (including Aya and Nailah) and reflect player choices, exploring sensuality, passion, and interpersonal dynamics in the game’s fantasy setting.