I don't have as much time as I'd like for video games — especially in the summer, when I'm balancing busy multiple busy seasons at multiple jobs. But when something unique comes along, I like to take a break and try it, rather than relying on one of my YouTube faves to play it in the background while I work.

Such is Bladesong, which is not related to my favorite Wizard subclass but is a very cool game where you smith and decorate swords. At the time of this writing, the game is available for playtesting, with a test build showing off both its Story and its Creative modes. As a story-based gamer, I tried out the former (I may give the latter a go later). And while there were elements that were a bit crunchy for someone like me with terrible spatial awareness, the story woven through the gameplay loop was extremely promising.

You play a blacksmith living in an impoverished settlement on the outskirts of a grand city. You've just escaped death and are currently working your way up to a life within the walls of said city; this will involve gaining a reputation and a work permit, and also not having your throat slit in the night by thieves. By day you can explore the camp, make friends (or not), buy wares, and discover more about the world around you. Once that's done, you fill orders for fellow camp residents. And once that's done, you try to make it through the night.

The character selection screen is very basic. You pick a gender, a background, a single possession, and an outlook on life. The second and third of those will affect your stats, with each Background buffing one stat by +3 and unlocking unique dialogue options, and the third optimizing your game depending on how you choose to play. (These bonuses are explained under each choice, giving you plenty of freedom to customize to your liking.) The first choice simply defines how you're addressed, and the fourth... well, I'm not sure yet, other than the fact that it enables an old lady who saved your life to dunk on you one last time before turning you over to the waking world.

Making swords is at the core of this game, and your forge looks pretty rad. At the start of each day, you have a certain amount of action points. Every potential customer requires a certain amount of points to work with, and each will yield experience, coin, and other bonuses. If you're getting tired, there's always at least one quick and dirty repair job you can do for a single action point.

I especially like that there's story embedded in most of these commissions. Sometimes you'll meet a father in need of a simple blade to protect his daughter; often, you'll meet camp dwellers tired of being put upon and desirous of showing everyone else who's boss. You don't have to take every order; and, indeed, I found myself only accepting orders of certain types after a point. Generally anyone who was against the camp's cutthroat thieves was an automatic yes... along with a lady who kept showing up and claiming she could hear beasts skittering in the night. Listen, the city has a magic barrier around it, and it's clearly to keep something out.

The smithing portion is pretty satisfying, and I imagine it's even more fun in Creative mode. I mostly enjoyed filling orders in Story mode, though. This meant making swords to certain specifications: heavy two-handers with leather-wrapped hilts, well-balanced blades, or (on occasion) just something sharp to get the job done. I did run across a work order or two that felt counterintuitive — swords that, based on the game's hints, needed to have both more and less mass at the point. A little more tutorial time spent working on these seemingly conflicting orders would have been helpful... perhaps a "difficult customer" to satisfy before being let out onto the world map. But if you can't seem to get an order filled, you can leave it. You'll sacrifice those action points, but you won't be softlocked.

Your choices have at least some effect on your ability to navigate the camp, as you can befriend and help others down on their luck. Also, there is a dog, and yes you can pet it, you can pet the dog, I'm so happy, these devs know what we need in a game.

As for the broader story, there's promise. The playtest ends right after a frankly horrifying reveal, and even the few areas you can explore before entering the city offer enticing details. There's absolutely a world here for those who want to find out more. And I definitely want to find out more.

Bladesong definitely caters to those with better spatial awareness in terms of the actual forging portion of the game, and I can see lots of people getting caught up in the creative aspect. You gain new methods, new tools, and new ornamentations as you go, meaning you can make increasingly elaborate blades. (Which admittedly sounds awesome.) But if you are more story-forward, never fear: this playtest hints at a vast, dark world waiting to be unlocked.

Bladesong is now available to wishlist on Steam.