1348 Ex Voto: Why This Medieval Action Adventure From Italy Is on Our Radar

1348 Ex Voto lands on Steam and PS5 tomorrow, March 12. It is the debut title from Sedleo, a 15-person studio based in Italy, and it has been on my watchlist for months. As a European, it is always exciting to see a European indie team step up with something this ambitious. And this one looks like it has serious bite.

What Is 1348 Ex Voto?

You play as Aeta, a young knight errant on a desperate journey through 14th century Italy to rescue Bianca, the person closest to her. The setting is brutal. Plague festers across the countryside, bandits and mercenaries roam freely, and religious zealots have filled the power vacuum left by collapsing institutions.

The game blends cinematic storytelling with third person action combat. Think somewhere between A Plague Tale and a souls-lite, but with its own distinct identity rooted in Italian medieval history.

The Combat Has Me Excited

What caught my attention first is the combat system. Sedleo built it around Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA), and they went all in on authenticity. The animations come from full performance capture sessions with trained actors. Not just dialogue. Fighting, running, dodging. Every movement was physically performed.

Aeta switches between two combat stances: one-handed and two-handed. You find skill books throughout the world to unlock new combos and customize your swordplay with different weapon parts. It sounds like the kind of system that rewards experimentation rather than button mashing. I genuinely cannot wait to get into my first real skirmish and see how the HEMA influence translates to gameplay feel.

A Vow System That Shapes Your Story

Beyond the swordplay, 1348 Ex Voto introduces a Vow mechanic. Your choices during combat and dialogue affect Aeta’s “spiritual resolve,” which influences narrative outcomes and her effectiveness in high stakes duels. It is an interesting take on the morality system concept. Rather than a simple good/evil slider, your resolve is tied to how you fight and what you stand for.

The Voice Cast

Alby Baldwin voices Aeta and Jennifer English plays Bianca. Both did full performance capture, not just voice recording. That level of commitment from a 15 person indie team is impressive and the demo footage showed it. The facial expressions and body language carry real emotional weight.

A European Indie Story

Sedleo is an Italian studio made up of 15 industry veterans who decided to build something of their own. Published by Dear Villagers (a French publisher, by the way), this is a fully European production telling a European story. As someone from Europe myself, it is always great to see indie studios from this side of the Atlantic ship ambitious projects. The European indie scene keeps growing and 1348 Ex Voto feels like another strong entry.

The environments span medieval villages, castles, the grassy slopes of the Apennine mountains, and the ruins of classical Rome. Sedleo clearly drew from their own backyard for inspiration and that authenticity shows.

The Details

• Developer: Sedleo (Italy)
• Publisher: Dear Villagers (France)
• Platforms: PC (Steam), PS5
• Release date: March 12, 2026
• Price: $24.99
• Playtime: Single player, full controller support

The Xbox Series version was originally planned but has been cancelled. Sedleo stated they wanted to focus on delivering the best experience on fewer platforms rather than stretching thin.

Should You Wishlist It?

If you enjoyed A Plague Tale or you are looking for a story driven action game with real sword fighting depth, 1348 Ex Voto deserves a spot on your wishlist. The demo was one of the top 50 most played at Steam Next Fest and early previews have been unanimously positive.

March is already stacked with indie releases and this is one of the ones I am most looking forward to diving into. Expect a full review from us once we have spent proper time with it.