Sins of a Solar Empire and Galactic Civilizations developer Stardock today announced a brand new PC fantasy 4X game called Sorcerer King. You don’t have to wait long at all to play the new strategy game, as an in-development version is available now via Steam Early Access.

Stardock calls Sorcerer King a “new breed” of strategy game where the player must put a stop to a “single, overwhelmingly powerful enemy” who is out to destroy the world. You’ll do this by recruiting champions, crafting artifacts, and expanding your kingdom.

The Early Access version of Sorcerer King is available today on Steam for $34, which is a 15 percent discount compared to the $40 it will cost at launch.

In Sorcerer King, you can “explore a vast and detailed world,” seeking out treasure and adventure in a “monster-infested wilderness.” The game’s “hundreds” of quests were written by Cracked.com’s Chris Bucholz. Eventually, you’ll advance to the Shadow Gate and ultimately battle the Sorcerer King himself in a final showdown.

Stardock says Sorcerer King will be different than traditional 4X titles, like Alpha Centauri, in that the player and his enemy will play by an “entirely different set of rules.”

“The Sorcerer King doesn’t need to crush your empire, he just needs to destroy the magical shards in order to enact his doomsday plan,” Stardock says in a statement. “Defending the shards, not careful plotting toward economic victory, is the only way to save the world.”

Stardock VP Derek Paxton added that he believes Sorcerer King represents a “new model” for 4X games. “Instead of competing against equal players, you’re behind the eight ball trying to stop the Sorcerer King and his minions from destroying the world. It’s strategy gaming under a guillotine,” he says.

The full version of Sorcerer King is expected to launched in early 2015. A host of additional content is planned for the game, including more factions and further characters to play as. In addition, though the Early Access version only has few maps (for the purposes of testing, Stardock says), many more “hand-crafted” maps will be added to the game over time.

For much more on Sorcerer King, check back soon for GameSpot’s in-depth interview with Stardock CEO Brad Wardell. You can also see a gallery of Sorcerer King images below.

Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch

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