The melee weapons we often use against gargantuan bosses and puny minions alike in games like Dark Souls, Skyrim, and The Legend of Zelda are taken for granted. Perhaps you found a Moonlight Greatsword in the ashen remains of an eldritch god, or maybe you got a rusty iron mace off of a table in a tutorial dungeon; but to you, it doesn’t matter. Save for a few quests that really push you to your limits to get that legendary weapon you wanted, it’s likely you’ve never considered whose backbreaking labor at the forge–or in the trenches of 3D modelling software–is responsible for smithing it. But maybe you have thought about that. Maybe you’ve always been more interested in making weapons than using them. Well, seeing as the swordmaking game Bladesong launches today in early access, it’s the perfect opportunity to give digital blacksmithing a swing.

Bladesong looks like it’s attempting to be perhaps one of the most customizable and in-depth weapons building games. The genre is a rather small one, so it’s definitely a welcome addition. In Bladesong, you are presented with two options of play. In creative mode, much like other sandbox titles, resources are not a problem, and you can shape a sword to your liking and modify it down to the most painstaking little details without worrying about anything else. Bend the hilt into a claw shape; curve the blade into a scimitar; encrust the sword with gold and bedazzle it with jewels; wrap the grip in patterned leather or woven cloth; replicate Sting from Lord of The Rings or make a historically accurate claymore; you have ultimate domain over your craft. And for those of whom who need a little more guidance or motivation, the second play option promises to immerse you in a multi-part story where you’ll juggle the eccentric requests of customers, shop management mechanics, and expand your repertoire of techniques with an RPG-esque skill tree as you go. Oh, and as a bonus, the game also allows you to 3D print your creations.

The developers add that if you like games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Disco Elysium, and PC Building Simulator, among other similar titles, then you’ll probably like what Bladesong has to offer. Currently, only the prologue and Chapter 1 of the story mode are available along with the sandbox mode, however they’ve already released a roadmap that looks to improve everything the game already has and expand it even further.

Bladesong is the debut game of SUN AND SERPENT creations, and is being published by Mythwright, who have also brought you Going Medieval, Thronefall, and Terratech. All three of those titles have smashing reviews on Steam, so hopefully Bladesong delivers through its early-access journey.