Cover art for Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Game

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a tactical role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and Koei Tecmo for the Nintendo Switch. Players take the role of a professor at Garreg Mach Monastery, where they teach and guide one of three student houses. Gameplay combines turn-based battles, character development, exploration, and relationship-building.

Available on: Nintendo

Publisher
Nintendo
Genre
Role-playing (RPG), Strategy, Turn-based strategy (TBS), Tactical, Adventure
Founded / released
2019-07-26

Frequently asked questions

Which house should you choose in Three Houses?

There is no wrong pick: each house leads to a different campaign with its own war-phase story. Black Eagles, Blue Lions, and Golden Deer each carry a full route, and a fourth hidden route opens through a key choice in the Black Eagles path. Seeing the whole story means roughly four playthroughs.

How long does it take to beat Three Houses?

A single route runs in the range of 50 to 70 hours depending on how much monastery life you embrace, and completionists chasing every route and support report totals near 170 hours. It is among the longest games in the series.

Does Fire Emblem: Three Houses run on Switch 2?

Yes. The game is fully backward compatible, and it actually runs better there: RPG Site’s testing found a near-locked 30fps and monastery loads about 20 seconds faster than on the original Switch. No upgrade purchase is required.

Is the Three Houses DLC worth getting?

The Expansion Pass centers on Cindered Shadows, an 8-to-10-hour side story about the Ashen Wolves, a hidden fourth house living beneath the monastery. Finishing it unlocks those characters, plus the Abyss area, for recruitment in the main campaigns.

Do I need to play Three Houses before Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave?

No. Fortune’s Weave takes place in the same world during a different era, on the continent of Dagda rather than Fódlan, and tells a standalone story. Three Houses remains the natural starting point for the setting’s lore, but neither game requires the other.

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