Stardock has released Sorcerer King, a new fantasy-themed 4X strategy game. "With Sorcerer King we wanted to do a different take on fantasy strategy and move away from some of the genre’s familiar tropes," says Stardock CEO Brad Wardell in the announcement. "Instead of pitting players against other factions with the same objective of conquering the game’s world for themselves, we’re challenging players to struggle against the Doomsday counter as they rise from the ashes of defeat to stop the demigod from casting a spell that will transform him into a god." The Sorcerer King website also has details on the first patch for the release version, which brings it up to version 1.0. Here's more on the game:

Players can challenge Sorcerer King and its ever ticking Doomsday Counter with the game’s six unique sovereigns that have their own skill trees, spellbooks and units. In Sorcerer King the landscape is filled with hundreds of quests. Completing them grants you crafting components, lore for researching new spells, new units, magical artifacts, and can even increase or decrease the Doomsday Counter. Along the way players will also encounter rivals that they may either choose to make into allies who support their cause or make them enemies that must be dealt with in addition stopping the Sorcerer King.