Card-based RPG Sultan's Game is one of the most popular Steam Next Fest demos, and demands you to embrace danger and despair to survive.
What would you be prepared to do if your very survival was on the line? From the tortured morality of Saw to the delicious despair of Danganronpa, twisted games of life and death can be some of the most compelling stories in media. So perhaps it's no surprise that new narrative-driven RPG Sultan's Game is proving among the most popular demos during Steam Next Fest. The latest Valve celebration of upcoming PC games is almost at a close, but fortunately this one is sticking around if you've yet to try it.
As a minister to the titular ruler, you're roped into playing the deadly Sultan's Game for your master's pleasure. Draw one of four cards, he tells you, and complete the challenge it presents within seven days. Fail, and execution awaits. Succeed, and you survive - but at what cost? This is a card-based narrative RPG where you must determine your priorities, your morals, and indeed your own personal limits as you decide whether to embrace the Sultan's desires or attempt to bring an end to his tyranny.
At its heart, Sultan's Game is a blend of decision-making and resource management, inspired by the folktales of the One Thousand and One Nights (often known in English as Arabian Nights). As you progress, you use cards to allocate your allies, resources, and other equipment to complete quests, build your influence, and win hearts and minds among the Sultan's court.
The card you're presented with determines your primary task. Draw Extravagance, and you must indulge in lavish spending. Pick Conquer, and tackle danger head-on. Select Carnality, and pursue physical pleasures aplenty. Or take the Bloodshed card, which demands the toughest price - a human sacrifice.
While your task might impose great demands, it could also present opportunities. Perhaps you've been looking for an excuse to put a hated enemy out of action. What starts as a desperate fight for survival might slowly grow into an increasing number of ways to shift the balance of fate in your favor. Of course, such actions don't come without consequence; pursue too dark a path and those you love may no longer feel the same in return.
"Victory doesn't come from being a saint or a madman," developer Double Cross explains. "You must make choices, find your limits and principles, and witness the diverse reactions of humanity under extreme conditions." As you progress - whether you succeed or fail - you'll earn points that, in roguelike fashion, can be used to enhance your available resources for the future, or to unlock powerful allies and equipment to make use of on subsequent attempts.
Will you fall in line as a trusted minister, or attempt to overthrow the sultan? Attempt to seek a peaceful utopia, or summon ancient, dark gods and burn everything to the ground. Sultan's Game promises "extensive exploration and puzzle-solving opportunities," and combines that with some absolutely beautiful artwork. It's important to note, however, that this isn't an overly grim experience. Despite the dark tone, there are only text-based descriptions of each event's outcome, with no visual representations or grisly descriptions of the process.
The whole thing combines to form an impressive package, and the results are clear to see: the Sultan's Game demo has proven a real winner among the best Steam Next Fest demos so far, pulling in highs of more than 5,000 concurrent players every single day from Wednesday October 16 through Sunday October 20.
If you want to join in on the fun, there's no need to rush. "Fear not, because the demo will remain available even after the festival ends so you can play over, and over, and over again," Double Cross says. "Thank you infinitely to all who have been playing the game already. We're amazed by those of you who have spent 80-plus hours on the game."