PAX East 2026
One of my favorite booths at PAX always ends up being Games from Poland. They bring a large variety of games of all genres and styles, and today I’ll go over my experience with the Ecumene Aztec demo. I even had the opportunity to speak with the CEO of the development studio, Paweł Rodan, while I played.
Ecumene Aztec is a third-person action-adventure game with plenty of stealth elements set in 1521. This was a crucial time in history for the Aztec people as the Spanish conquistadors invaded. The game has already completed its first round of playtesting and has prioritized further refining the game from feedback, and the team is currently working on another game mechanic involving blood, as it was an integral part of the Aztec culture and belief system. The release date is TBD.
The demo kicks off with a narration in the Aztec native tongue, and it sets the stage for the grueling conflict that lays ahead for the protagonist. You are a young man, set to become the next sacrifice, following your son’s. And yet, due to a twist of fate, the attack from the conquistadors opened an opportunity for escape. This escape sequence throws you right into the action and behaves as your tutorial as well. I was actually quite impressed by this opening segment. Not only was it action-packed, but it set the tone for what to expect from the rest of the game. I could tell a lot of effort went into this segment as well because so much was going on. I was tempted to stop and take in the environment (and chaos); however, I just had to keep pushing forward. The tutorial taught me the basic controls such as running, crouching, etc.
When I finally escaped, I arrived in the rainforest and a cave system. I did pause here and panned a full 360 around my character. I stopped and explained to Pawel that I felt like I was exploring a real world. Truly, the world already has become one that I wanted to explore further. After I resumed the demo, I then learned about crafting, stealth, stealth kills, and combat. Two melee weapons were available, and I would say this was where I struggled a little. Perhaps I was just still getting used to the controls, and I was grateful that the tutorial enemies were more forgiving that ones I would’ve run into in real life! Pawel explained more weapons will be available as the game progresses.
Pawel was gracious enough to answer questions I had. He explained that they hired a consultant to ensure the proper research was conducted to represent the Aztecs and their culture appropriately, and that consultant also was the one who did the voice over in the native tongue in the opening scene. With this assurance, I am even more eager to see the rest of this game, as the culture and setting is as rich as they come.
While Ecumene Aztec is still in the thick of development, the demo left a good taste in my mouth. I would be interested in revisiting it after more polish and this additional blood mechanic!
If you are interested in check out a demo of Ecumene Aztec, there is one available on Steam now: Ecumene Aztec. And check out the trailer below:
Stay tuned as Boss Rush Network keeps you up to date on Ecumene Aztec. Until then, thank you to the dev team, especially Pawel!
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Featured Image Source: Ecumene Games via Steam
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