Fanstratics — from "fantasy, strategy, tactics" — was an independent strategy game by Gregory W. Fulton, lead designer of Heroes of Might and Magic III[1][1]. It was meant as a spiritual successor to Heroes III, but it was not a Might and Magic game: an original world with its own factions, deliberately "familiar but different"[1]. Development ended in January 2025[1].
Gregory Fulton
Fulton joined New World Computing in 1997, led the design of The Restoration of Erathia, Armageddon's Blade and The Shadow of Death, then moved to Westwood[1]. David Mullich, hired the same day, recalled him working out the unit statistics with Jon Van Caneghem and leading the level designers[1].
History
- Fulton began working on independent projects in 2018[1]; in June 2020 David Mullich told the Talents in Games conference about the game[1][1].
- From September 2020 Fulton reported in monthly newsletters — 45 in all, the last in January 2025[1][1].
- Funding was to come from crowdfunding: he counted on about 50,000 newsletter subscribers, a fifth of whom might back a campaign[1]. In May 2022 he asked supporters to wait — he would launch a Kickstarter only when sure he could deliver[1].
- He caught COVID-19 in December 2021 and was left with lasting fatigue; artists left the project and the war in Ukraine cost it a candidate[1]. In April 2023 he still insisted the game was in development, if slowly[1].
- His 45th and last newsletter, in January 2025, ended development: his illness was probably permanent and his chances of finishing remote; he would rather turn his recollections of Heroes III into a memoir[1][1][1].
The design
- An adventure map on a square grid, battles on a full-screen hex grid and a full-screen town view — built in 3D, shown in 2D[1][1].
- Windows only, with "no mobile F2P shenanigans", and a map editor after release[1].
- The first newsletter named Fulton as lead designer, John Bolton as lead programmer and Phelan Sykes as lead artist[1].
- Six resources — timber, ore, crystal, incense, quicksilver and gold[1].
- Nine factions plus neutral troops, with room left for expansion factions; all nine would ship only if crowdfunding and Early Access went well[1].
Factions
Fulton revealed one faction a month[1][1][1]:
| Faction | Revealed | Home terrain | Heroes III counterpart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegiant | December 2020 | grasslands | Castle |
| Stoutbluds | January 2021 | wintry alpine mountains | Tower |
| Thornwood | February 2021 | spring lands | Rampart |
| Necrotics | March 2021 | dead lands | Necropolis |
| Krasadox | April 2021 | arid desert | Stronghold |
| Zubhewen | May 2021 | underground | Dungeon |
| Infernals | June 2021 | volcanic lands | Inferno |
| Boggish | July 2021 | swamp | Fortress |
| Chimerans | August 2021 | runic lands | — |
Discussion: the project's forum board.