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Windows Central
Windows Central
Technology
Michael Hoglund

Nightingale FAQ: Release date, multiplayer, price, platforms, and other questions answered

Nightingale promotional screenshot of a boss enemy.

Palworld and Enshrouded are currently all the craze, but look out, another survival game is coming to town. Nightingale is splashing onto the scene in what Inflexion Games hopes to be glorious fashion. Taking notes from Enshrouded developers with their former game, Portal Knights, Nightingale is a real-based survival title where players will forge their own path across procedurally generated worlds.

Work your way towards the fabled city of Nightingale as players use the Realm Card system to craft cards in a bid to progress, explore, craft, and build in worlds that only they and their friends will see. To top it all off, Nightingale gives off heavy steampunk-inspired vibes. A favorite of many!

What is Nightingale?

Best Answer: Nightingale is a PVE open-world survival crafting game played solo or cooperatively with friends. Build, craft, fight, and explore as you venture through mystical portals into a variety of unique and fantastical realms.

Nightingale is a procedural survival crafting game where players will be tasked to take on new worlds via the Realmwalker system. As stated by Inflexion Games, "You are stranded beyond our world, cut off by the collapse of the arcane portal network. This catastrophe has left you fighting to survive in a labyrinth of beautiful and dangerous Fae realms. Your goal: become a skilled Realmwalker, and navigate the web of transdimensional portals. Only then can you discover your way to the magical city of Nightingale, the last known bastion of humanity."

When discussing what will be available to players in Nightingale come launch, “At the beginning of Early Access, the following features and content will be available. However, this is subject to change and everything featured is a work in progress:

  • A multitude of realms to explore across three different biome types (forest, desert, and swamp)
  • A large variety of creature types to hunt - from the smallest rabbit through to imposing Apex creatures
  • Comprehensive building and crafting tools, alongside estate management
  • Progression system spanning all aspects of gameplay
  • Solo and online cooperative play up to six players.”

When does Nightingale release?

Best Answer: Having pushed their date by two days, Nightingale will launch into Early Access on February 20th, 2024. While the full schedule for Early Access has yet to be revealed, the developers have stated they plan for Early Access to last around 9 to 12 months.

It's me getting ready for launch. (Image credit: Inflexion Games)

After a few stress tests, with the previous one lasting only a few hours at the beginning of February, Nightingale will launch on February 20th, 2024. After moving the release date up by two days, Inflexion Games made the following announcement, "Mark your calendars because we're opening the Portal network ahead of schedule! Nightingale will now launch into Early Access on February 20th, 2024. This will not only allow you all to start your adventures as a Realmwalker two days earlier than originally planned, but also give our team a head start in addressing any issues at launch before the busy weekend period."

As for how long the game would remain in Early Access, Inflexion Games noted this on their Steam page, "We currently predict that Nightingale will be in Early Access for 9-12 months. However, we don’t want to stick to a date and underdeliver on the experience. We’ll make sure that Nightingale will only leave Early Access when it’s ready."

Is there a Nightingale roadmap?

Best Answer: No roadmap has currently been shared with the public. They have expanded briefly on their plans during Early Access by promising new biomes and the city of Nightingale. Once an official roadmap is revealed, we'll make sure to share it here.

As the game goes through Early Access, plenty of Realms will be added to spice up the gameplay. (Image credit: Inflexion Games)

When buying a game, especially one in Early Access like Palworld, players generally want to know what sort of planned support there will be post-launch. Things are no different for Nightingale. 

As stated by Inflexion Games, “We anticipate that Nightingale will evolve and expand significantly throughout Early Access, including the addition of more story content, new realm biomes to explore, as well as the introduction of the fabled City of Nightingale itself.”

Outside of this information, nothing else has been shared that involves plans for the future. However, we can build a basic list of ideas:

  • Improved and new gameplay features
  • New Realms
  • New Realm Cards, including minor cards
  • More crafting materials and recipes
  • More weapons and items for players to use

How much does Nightingale cost?

Best Answer: No price has been given as of yet, but considering games of similar scope and genre, it will likely be somewhere around $29.99 USD.

Is this a player, or a boss? We'll find out after launch! (Image credit: Inflexion Games)

While the official price hasn't been revealed, a bot on their Discord currently lists the price as $29.99. Many other games in the genre, like Palworld and Enshrouded, were also launched at $29.99.

As for whether the price will change, Inflexion Games has made a statement on their Steam page to answer the following question: "Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“No current plans, but we will evaluate a price increase during Early Access and communicate any changes ahead of a 1.0 release.”

Is Nightingale on Xbox or PS5?

Best Answer: At launch, the only available platforms will be Steam and the Epic Games Store. There are no current plans to bring it to consoles, such as Xbox and PlayStation.

This enemy looks vicious, I love it! Hope I get to play this on Xbox again. (Image credit: Inflexion Games)

Upon launch, Nightingale will be released on Steam and the Epic Games Store. However, that doesn't mean other platforms have been ruled out. Often, many games choose to release exclusively on PC in Early Access, only to come to consoles at a later date once the game has more features and is in a more stable state. 

Is Nightingale on Game Pass?

Best Answer: Nightingale will not be available via Game Pass as of now. However, that doesn't mean Nightingale won't come at a later date. Microsoft has been known to show a lot of love for co-op games on Game Pass.

The Victorian enemy I never knew I needed. (Image credit: Inflexion Games)

Microsoft is known for pushing coop games via Game Pass, especially with the addition of games such as Grounded and Valheim. Microsoft also isn't afraid to add these games to PC Game Pass prior to them being available on consoles, again noting Valheim.

As to whether Nightingale will eventually come to Xbox or Game Pass, one can only speculate. Nightingale, assuming the game is a success, would be an excellent addition to the service.

Does Nightingale have multiplayer?

Best Answer: Like many survival titles, Nightingale will feature 2 to 6-player co-operative play. You can also choose to play solo.

Nightingale will support up to 6 players at launch. (Image credit: Inflexion Games)

Many survival games are released with coop, and Nightingale is no exception. Launching alongside Palworld and Enshrouded, other cooperative survival titles, Nightingale looks to put its own personal spin on the genre.

Players can host games of up to 6 players through Nightingale's official dedicated servers. At launch, private dedicated servers will not be available to players. This will allow Inflexion Games, former developers at Bioware, to better track and analyze player issues, performance, etc.

Does Nightingale have PvP?

Best Answer: While many survival titles, like Rust and Dayz, have a focus on PvP, Nightingale will not have any PvP. Inflexion Games has promised to focus solely on single-player and cooperative experiences for its player base.

Nightingale doesn't need PvP to make it a blast. Just look at Enshrouded as a perfect example! (Image credit: Inflexion Games)

There are many survival games that concentrate on PvP for their communities. Especially in PC games like DayZ, Rust, and SCUM, it's very easy to see how many players desire a PvP-focused game. All have a current concurrent player count between 10,000 and 100,000 players.

Nightingale takes the alternate approach, focusing solely on PvE and cooperative play. While Palworld has promised to add PvP aspects, it's hit some ridiculous numbers at launch while only featuring PvE. Other survival games, like Enshrouded and Sons of the Forest, all forego PvP in favor of making a more streamlined, cooperative experience for players.

Does Nightingale have a 3rd person mode?

Best Answer: Nightingale will feature a third-person mode after a desire was shared by the fanbase. When initially revealed, Nightingale did not have a third-person mode, but it was added as of June 2023.

Everyone wants to check themselves out. We already remember the Cyberpunk complaints. (Image credit: Inflexion Games)

Nightingale will support third-person, but Inflexion Games quickly pointed out on their Steam FAQ that it could be buggy.

"Nightingale started off in first-person only mode and that continues to be the default mode of the game, but based on significant community feedback, we began working on a third-person mode in 2022 and officially added it to the game in June 2023. Third-person mode should largely be functional at launch, but may experience a few more visual bugs than first-person."

Is Nightingale procedurally generated?

Best Answer: All realms within Nightgale will use procedural generation upon creation. Even when using the same realm cards, the world you roll will look different than another player's world using the identical combination.

This looks terrifying and I may never get to see this in game! (Image credit: Inflexion Games)

Procedural generation is commonly used in many games to help in multiple ways during game development. In some instances, it's also used as a standout feature in order to create more replayability for the game. A prominent example of this would be Minecraft. 

Nightingale will also use procedural generation. When entering a new realm, the area players enter will be created on the spot. No two areas will ever look exactly the same. However, players can expect to learn that certain card combinations will generate specific resources, bosses, areas, etc. Even if said areas are procedurally generated, there will still be standout features of the area, as I described above.

What are Realm Cards?

Best Answer: Realm Cards are the method by which players will unlock more realms. Players will craft them using resources gathered from Realms and, in combination with other Realm Cards, unlock quite a few different worlds with a plethora of various effects of items, enemies, resources, and more.

Realm Cards promise to keep gameplay fresh (Image credit: Inflexion Games)

According to the developer, "Realm Cards are the main way Realmwalkers open the portal network. Players will be able to craft them based on materials they find in the environment and will be able to affect several things in the Realm they travel to." 

They've also added another Realm Card feature, the Realmic Transmuter. "While the functionality of Realm cards remains the same, Minor Realm Cards are now activated at Realmic Transmuters found in each Realm. Realmic Transmuters transform the Realm you're currently situated in instantly based on the magikal properties pertaining to the card."

How does Nightingale progress save?

Best Answer: Save progress in Nightingale will be tied to each individual player. Personal mission progress will not be shared. World progress will be server-based.

Those Tiki guys need their torch put out. (Image credit: Inflexion Games)

As per Inflexion Games, "Nightingale allows players to progress through quests and challenges at their own pace. Main progression is character-based, so asynchronous co-op multiplayer won’t leave other players missing mainline content."

As for built structures, items, weapons, etc, these will all be shareable with other players in your session. So long as players each set that realm to what Inflexion Games referred to as their respite point, others can boot that realm up at any time without the original host.

Does Nightingale have controller support?

Best Answer: Nightgale will have full controller support on both Steam and Epic Games Store. Players can fully utilize standard Xbox controllers, as well as DualSense via USB.

Enshrouded is fully playable with Xbox and PlayStation controllers. (Image credit: Windows Central)

These days, games rarely launch without some controller support; when they do, players are quick to point out it's missing. Nightingale will feature full controller support for Xbox and PlayStation controllers. The only caveat is that the DualSense will work via USB, while the Xbox controller will not require such a connection.

Is Nightingale playable on Steam Deck?

Best Answer: It's unknown if Nightingale will work on Steam Deck, as according to the developers, "We are currently working on Steam Deck compatibility and hope to provide an update ahead of Early Access launch or soon after."

Enshrouded is playable on Steam Deck, but the performance isn't exactly ideal. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and more handhelds have been making quite a splash since their introductions. With that, many games attempt to target said audience with their games by either working around the hardware limitations of the handheld market or creating specific modes that said hardware can handle. So what about Nightingale?

Thus far, Nightingale doesn't look like a game that will be easily handled by the Steam Deck. My guess is that Nightingale won't run exceptionally well on handhelds at launch. There is a chance, down the road, that Nightingale could very well work on Steam Deck and other handheld devices.

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