A new Elder Scrolls game just stealth released, and it's free to play

If you were wondering how we might wait for the next Elder Scrolls game, well, you could try out The Elder Scrolls: Castles, which just stealth dropped on Android-based mobile platforms. The game is an 'early access' title only available on Android - though an iOS version seems inevitable. Of course, this isn't going to properly scratch that itch, but it may well become your new mobile obsession.

The Elder Scrolls: Castles is available now and mixes the classic franchise with a Fallout Shelter-type of game. It's your chance to manage your own castle - adding and removing rooms, "placing decorations and inspirational monuments" and you can assign subjects to workstations.

Ruling the kingdom is handled by dealing with requests via a Reigns-style mechanic. Mentioned in the official blurb is "Make key decisions that impact your legacy" which could mean that gameplay aspects will change over time and due to the decisions you make. You'll be settling spats between subjects and dealing with royal politics, too.

Quests are a big part of the game as you're able to send out heroes with customisable equipment to battle "classic Elder Scrolls foes." Of course, this is a mobile game so there are lots of resources to gather and micro-tasks to complete. The blurb mentions "epic gear" which sounds like there will be a rarity scale on the gear you can give to your heroes.

The screenshots we've seen so far show a Fallout Shelter layout reskinned with medieval stylings, while the characters have a cartoon aesthetic that features bold colours and feel like a switch to a comic book style. One of these screenshots also reveals the heroic adventures, showing two heroes battling an enormous dragon. A battle bar across the top of the screen shows the struggle between knights and dragon and hints to some sort of interaction by the player to sway the battle.

Hopefully we'll find out more as the game works its way through early access. We'll be building castles while we wait for The Elder Scrolls 6.