Bellwright is Donkey Crew's medieval survival and town-building RPG, in Steam Early Access since 23 April 2024 and still in Early Access as of August 2026, with a full release the studio has targeted for 2026. You start as an outlaw with a knife in the region of Karvenia, and you finish as the head of a settlement that other people work in. Seven village capitals sit on the map, Haerndean, Padstow, Bradford, Farnworth, Blackridgepool, Horndean and Crasmere, and each one only hands over recruits once you have earned its Trust. The 2026 Summer Update brought a performance overhaul and console versions, while the Maiden Voyage update added the Halmare Isles as a second landmass.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Haerndean | Village Trust and Renown recruiting basics | Companion | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Padstow | Villager jobs and work priorities mastery | Companion | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Bradford | Production chains and research + gear | Worker or Companion | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Horndean | Build optimization | Worker | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Blackridgepool | Min-max | Worker or Crafter | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (Haerndean)
One of the two lowest-threat village capitals and a standard first stop. It has a blacksmith among its professions, so early tool and weapon work can be done here while you are still building Trust.
Level/Difficulty: Opening area, lowest threat tier Key Rewards: First recruits, early quests, blacksmith access
What to Do in Haerndean
- Learn Village Trust and Renown recruiting. Each of the seven village capitals tracks its own Trust in you, raised by doing the odd jobs its people ask for: setting traps, clearing the wolves, running deliveries. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Companion as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- Trust and Renown are two separate gates. Trust decides which recruits a village will offer, Renown pays for them. Grinding one without the other stalls your population either way.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Two handed axe or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Village Trust and Renown recruiting fundamentals
- Companion selected and functional
- Haerndean main content cleared
- Ready for Padstow
Phase 2: Early Game (Padstow)
The other low-threat starting village, with a carpenter among its professions. Between Padstow and Haerndean you can cover the two crafting lines that matter most in the first dozen hours without walking into anything that can kill you.
Level/Difficulty: Opening area, lowest threat tier Key Rewards: Carpenter access, early Renown quests, safe settlement sites nearby
What to Do in Padstow
- Work on Villager jobs and work priorities. The Population screen assigns each villager a role as Worker, Companion or Guard, then sets job priorities across gathering, hauling, crafting and combat. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Two handed axe if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Assign a job priority the moment a villager joins. Unassigned villagers idle or default to whatever station is nearest, and a settlement of thirty idle people eats as much food as a settlement of thirty working ones.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Bradford.
- Consider whether Worker might suit your playstyle better than Companion.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Villager jobs and work priorities integrated into gameplay
- Two handed axe acquired
- Padstow fully cleared
- Ready for Bradford
Phase 3: Mid Game (Bradford)
A step up in threat from the opening villages. Camps in its territory hit harder, so this is where a sword and shield player wants a squad of Guards rather than a solo run.
Level/Difficulty: Mid threat tier Key Rewards: Higher-tier recruits, better trade options, mid-game quest chains
What to Do in Bradford
- Master Production chains and research. Nothing useful is one step. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward One handed sword. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- Build the sawmill and the coal burner before anything cosmetic. Planks and charcoal are inputs to nearly every later station, and skipping them stalls the whole research tree.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Liberating bandit camps and villages for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Production chains and research mastered
- One handed sword acquired or in progress
- Bradford fully cleared
- Ready for Horndean
Phase 4: Late Game (Horndean)
Mid-tier territory with a blacksmith among its professions. Useful as a second base of operations once your production chain has reached iron and you need somewhere closer to the harder camps.
Level/Difficulty: Mid threat tier Key Rewards: Blacksmith access, iron-era gear, territory control
What to Do in Horndean
- Finalize your build. You should be running Worker or Companion with optimized gear.
- One handed sword should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Melee skill experience comes from hitting human enemies, not wildlife. If your one-handed skill is stuck, the answer is a bandit camp, not another deer.
- Stamina based melee with companions optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Blackridgepool.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- One handed sword upgraded to max
- Horndean fully cleared
- Ready for Blackridgepool
Phase 5: Endgame (Blackridgepool)
One of the toughest mainland territories, with very hard bandit camps. Do not come here on hide armour and a starting sword. It carries both blacksmith and carpenter professions, which is the reward for surviving the surrounding area.
Level/Difficulty: Highest mainland threat tier Key Rewards: Best recruits, top-tier profession access, late-game gear
What to Do in Blackridgepool
- Blackridgepool tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Agility experience comes mostly from ranged combat, so even a dedicated melee player should carry a bow and use it on the approach to every fight.
- The endgame loop: run Blackridgepool, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Crafter for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Stamina based melee with companions mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Blackridgepool fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Building a large settlement before recruiting anybody. Buildings do not staff themselves, and empty stations produce nothing.
- Leaving job priorities on default, which produces a village where everyone chases the same task and the rest of the chain starves.
- Attacking a very hard bandit camp in starting gear because the map marker looked close.
- Ignoring village quests and then wondering why the Elder will not offer better recruits. Trust only moves through those odd jobs.
- Sending companions into fights in whatever rags they arrived in. Unarmed villagers die and take their Renown cost with them.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Trust and Renown are two separate gates. Trust decides which recruits a village will offer, Renown pays for them. Grinding one without the other stalls your population either way.
- Assign a job priority the moment a villager joins. Unassigned villagers idle or default to whatever station is nearest, and a settlement of thirty idle people eats as much food as a settlement of thirty working ones.
- Build the sawmill and the coal burner before anything cosmetic. Planks and charcoal are inputs to nearly every later station, and skipping them stalls the whole research tree.
- Melee skill experience comes from hitting human enemies, not wildlife. If your one-handed skill is stuck, the answer is a bandit camp, not another deer.
- Agility experience comes mostly from ranged combat, so even a dedicated melee player should carry a bow and use it on the approach to every fight.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Bellwright Guides
- Bellwright Bellwright Overview
- Bellwright Best Builds
- Bellwright Tier List
- Bellwright Beginner's Guide
- Bellwright Tips & Tricks
- Bellwright Weapons Guide
- Bellwright Combat Guide
- Bellwright Boss Guide
- Bellwright Maps & Locations
- Bellwright Crafting Guide
- Bellwright Classes & Characters
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