From the safety of the city, inquisitors are dispatched aboard trains on dangerous expeditions across the frontier to hunt heretics and eliminate magical beasts threatening the empire. Every successful mission helps maintain the flow of prisoners, but each decision carries consequences that ripple back through the city.

Managing the settlement requires carefully balancing resources, preventing rebellion, and containing the ever-growing influence of madness. Supplies must be produced, prisoners sacrificed when necessary, and difficult choices made to keep the city functioning as pressure mounts from every direction.

As inquisitors gain experience, they can be developed into specialized roles with new skills that better suit different challenges. Between runs, players earn Blood Points by completing shipment quotas and making grim sacrifices, unlocking permanent upgrades and new abilities that strengthen future attempts. Every playthrough also introduces different powers and strategic options, encouraging players to adapt their approach as they battle increasingly dangerous enemies and confront the horrors lurking beyond the city walls.