Long Live The Queen
- November 8, 2013
- Hanako Games
- 13h median play time
Long Live the Queen puts your strategic thinking to the test in a deceptively simple way. It’s fun and addictive with a great aesthetic. Check it out if you’re a fan of point-and-click adventure games with a visual novel slant.
"Long Live the Queen" is a visual novel and simulation game where you help a young princess navigate the treacherous path to the throne. Make strategic decisions to shape her abilities, personality, and royal duties, while dealing with court politics, intrigue, and potential assassination attempts. Your choices determine if she will become a beloved queen or a tragic footnote in history.
Reviews
- Engaging and humorous story with multiple branching paths and endings.
- Challenging gameplay that requires strategic planning and skill management.
- High replayability with numerous ways to die and different outcomes based on choices.
- Steep learning curve with many trial-and-error moments that can be frustrating.
- Some skills and choices may feel arbitrary or less useful, leading to confusion.
- Repetitive gameplay can occur after multiple playthroughs, especially if aiming for all achievements.
- story2,350 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story of "Long Live the Queen" is a complex and engaging narrative that revolves around a young princess, Elodie, who must navigate a treacherous political landscape following her mother's death. Players make choices that significantly impact the storyline, leading to various outcomes and multiple endings, which encourages replayability. While some reviewers noted the linearity of the main plot and the necessity of specific skills to progress, many praised the depth of the story, its dark themes, and the intricate connections between choices and events, making it a compelling experience for fans of visual novels and interactive storytelling.
“You'll want to play again and again to explore every route and unveil every last sliver of story.”
“A great stat-based visual novel where you'll see consequences to your every decision with lots of replayability value, as you'll see a different perspective on the story and characters depending on your choices until you can get the full picture.”
“The story is interesting and learning about all the characters is fun as well.”
“If I can find any fault with the game, I suppose I would've appreciated more flavor text and longer story sections.”
“For the average player unwilling to settle for trial and error, the only solution is to find a walkthrough from the dedicated, but the story content is thinner than a doujin r-18 game.”
“The story is not amazing, but it's cute enough.”
- gameplay746 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Long Live the Queen" is characterized by a blend of visual novel elements and strategic decision-making, where players manage the protagonist's mood and skills to navigate various challenges and outcomes. While some find the mechanics engaging and rewarding, others criticize the repetitive and trial-and-error nature of the gameplay, which can feel tedious and overly reliant on luck. Overall, the game offers a unique experience with significant replayability, but its simplistic mechanics and linear structure may not appeal to everyone.
“The simple gameplay loop where you choose what tasks to get certain stats, and these stats affecting what choices you have in the story works so well.”
“There's a lot of mechanics, strategy building and overall thinking, that will keep players entertained for hours.”
“The gameplay is quick but immersive.”
“I would not recommend this game unless you feel like you could get invested enough in the mediocre plot that the boring, repetitive gameplay will not deter you from pushing onwards through each path.”
“The gameplay itself is rather simple... you actually just decide for two classes you want to take per turn and press done.”
“The gameplay is dull - you trained a skill required to live, you continue.”
- replayability734 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game "Long Live the Queen" is praised for its high replayability, with many players noting the numerous choices, branching paths, and multiple endings that encourage repeated playthroughs. While some reviewers mention that the game can become repetitive after several completions, the variety of outcomes and the challenge of mastering different strategies keep players engaged. Overall, it offers a rich experience for those who enjoy decision-based gameplay and exploration of different narrative routes.
“A great stat-based visual novel where you'll see consequences to your every decision with lots of replayability value, as you'll see a different perspective on the story and characters depending on your choices until you can get the full picture.”
“Replayability is extremely high; you can play 200 times and still discover something hidden in the story.”
“The best part to me is that the devs created a game that is rich in replayability value and you get a lot of choices which will alter your future deeply.”
“Repetitive and no replayability.”
“Only problem is, there's precisely zero replay value.”
“This is not very replayable once you make it through but the game definitely makes you want to finish it which can take several hours to plan your playthrough.”
- graphics604 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a cute, anime-inspired art style that many players find charming, though some criticize it for being overly simplistic or dated. While the visuals are generally well-received for their beauty and consistency, there are complaints about a lack of animation and variety, leading to a sense of aesthetic dissonance with the game's darker themes. Overall, the graphics serve as a deceptive facade for a deeper, strategy-driven gameplay experience, appealing to fans of visual novels and those who appreciate the juxtaposition of cutesy aesthetics with serious narrative elements.
“The graphics are nice, it runs well on just about anything too.”
“Amazing artwork and soundtrack too ^_^”
“The artwork is beautiful and the game takes some strategy but not a whole lot so it's not stressing.”
“The graphics are just okay, and the music gets really repetitive after a while.”
“There is essentially no graphics, little to no action, no animation and no other sound than the (very good if a bit repetitive) background music.”
“The one thing I don't like about this game is that the native graphics max out at 1024x600, so fullscreening on a modern monitor looks pretty bad with the pixel scaling.”
- music538 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its lovely piano soundtrack, which enhances the overall aesthetic and emotional depth. However, many players note that the music can become repetitive and grating over time, with some suggesting it lacks variety and can lead to frustration during extended play sessions. Despite these criticisms, the soundtrack is often described as fitting and pleasant, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
“The music is calming and beautiful.”
“The music fits really well and the skill training allows for a personalized path each time, with different decisions available.”
“The music is lovely and the artwork very nice, with a clean cut design and humorous, engaging writing that makes it hard not to fall in love with Elodie and the other characters around her.”
“The music is very repetitive and loops, and some of the art is a bit too 'anime.'”
“The soundtrack is simple in the game and pretty at first but becomes a bit grating the longer you play.”
“Next up when you reach the 'Elodie's room' screen where you will spend most of the game (usually thinking about what to do next) you get a 20-second piano music on loop; it's not so bad, but when you've heard it for the 3rd time (and yes, that takes only 1 minute to happen), you will most likely get tired of it and gradually start to hate it if you don't do something about it.”
- humor374 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and charm, often blending dark themes with lightheartedness, particularly through the various humorous ways the princess can meet her demise. Players find themselves laughing at the absurdity of the situations and the creative death sequences, which add a layer of replayability as they explore different outcomes. Overall, the game successfully combines strategy and humor, making it an engaging and entertaining experience.
“This game is so funny, like what do you mean I'm a magical girl queen who can stop a war by singing?”
“It's a fun, funny, and brutally unforgiving royalty simulator and worth multiple plays just to find a new way to die - all with an adorable sticker to commemorate your stabbing/poisoning/murder/strategic blundering.”
“The writing and scenarios you will find yourself encountering as you navigate the dangerous world of royalty are clever and hilarious, the deaths even more so.”
- emotional82 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Long Live the Queen" is highly praised, with players experiencing a profound emotional journey filled with both heartwarming and heartbreaking moments. The game's narrative complexity and character emotional states significantly impact gameplay, leading to a rollercoaster of feelings that can evoke laughter and tears. Overall, it is celebrated for its ability to create genuine emotional involvement, making players feel deeply connected to the story and characters.
“I love deep narratives and I was really surprised by how complex and emotional this game got at points.”
“On the surface, Long Live the Queen is about princesses and pink hair and paper doll mechanics, but once you begin Elodie's journey, all of the simplicity and cutesy visual novel regularities fall away, and you're left with an engaging, action-packed, emotional experience brimming with possibilities, humor, and depth.”
“By far the most emotional moment I experienced was an alternative in which the father of your character dies to save you, and I had my character refuse to bow before the murderer and die by his hand as well.”
- grinding72 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, often requiring players to replay sections multiple times to succeed, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. While some players find satisfaction in the challenge and strategic planning involved, many others feel that the trial-and-error nature of the gameplay leads to frustration and boredom. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a significant barrier to enjoyment, particularly for those who prefer a more streamlined or less demanding gameplay style.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“This kind of tedious trial and error is forced onto you, making the experience extremely frustrating.”
“The act of balancing your mood, combined with blindly training skills that may or may not be useful, is a process so tedious and boring that it drags down whatever charm this game had to begin with.”
“It was fun for a little while, but quickly became tedious, frustrating, and repetitive in an un-fun way for me personally.”
- character development26 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is notably influenced by player choices, leading to engaging storylines and character arcs, particularly for the main character, who is well-received. However, some players feel that while there are numerous choices available, the overall character development can be limited, with certain characters lacking depth and quickly fading from the narrative. The game offers a mix of appealing character designs and branching paths, but expectations for deeper character engagement may vary among players.
“The main character was very likable, and had great character development and story arcs.”
“There are an obscene amount of choices to make in terms of character development, which is great, but there are a very limited number of ways to solve problems and win the game.”
“I think I expected more story and character development and less just clicking to see if anything would work.”
“There's little character development and people kinda flash on and away from the storyline before you get to feel familiar with them.”
“This character development overlay allows for a surprising degree of divergent heroes and outcomes, despite the overall events being essentially fixed from week to week.”
- stability12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates excellent stability, with users reporting no glitches, technical errors, or crashes. It runs smoothly on both new and older systems, providing a reliable gaming experience without immersion-breaking issues.
“Great to play if you don't have a lot of time and runs great on my new Windows laptop and my 7-year-old MacBook.”
“No glitches or errors.”
“The game itself is completely sound; I have not run into any glitches or anything of that sort.”
“No bugs, crashes, immersion-breaking glitches, etc.”
“No glitches or technical errors.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its engaging soundtrack and ability to create a captivating environment that enhances the storytelling experience. While most players find the atmosphere lighthearted and immersive, some critiques arise regarding the use of a non-original title track, which some feel detracts from the overall mood. Overall, the combination of good characters and a well-crafted atmosphere allows players to fully immerse themselves in the narrative.
“The atmosphere and music are pretty and never a distraction.”
“They create the perfect atmosphere to lose yourself in the story.”
“The game does not have an original title track; it has a piano version of the national anthem of England instead. This irritated me partially because it wasn't original, and partially because I thought it just wasn't well played and didn't fit the atmosphere of the menu at all.”
“The atmosphere makes for a lighthearted and relaxing mood, even as you dodge bullet after bullet in a desperate struggle to wear your crown.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's optimization aspect is centered around solving skill check puzzles through multiple playthroughs, where players gradually discover the most effective strategies and skill combinations. While it is categorized as a visual novel, it leans more towards a puzzle game, appealing particularly to those who enjoy tackling optimization challenges. Players will need to invest time to understand the impact of their choices and the sequence of events to fully grasp the game's mechanics.
“If you're the type of person who enjoys optimization problems, you'll feel right at home here.”
“A better explanation of the core of the game would be to, over multiple playthroughs, build up one of several optimized solutions to the skill check puzzles of the game.”
“This adorable game is tagged as a visual novel, but it's a bit closer to a puzzle game (kind of an optimization problem).”
“It would seem almost impossible to tell which skills are more useful until you get a couple of playthroughs under your belt and learn the sequence of static events and paths that your choices and performances take you down.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is closely tied to its advertising, which accurately reflects the gameplay experience. Players can customize the character Elodie based on her moods, but there are elements of chance that may lead to unexpected outcomes, such as being "poisoned by chocolate."
Critic Reviews
Long Live The Queen – Console Review – Ultimate Strategy Game
Long Live the Queen is a fun strategy simulator game that adds a fun amount of replayability. It is challenging as a simulator but doesn’t feel unforgiving as it gives you plenty of aid in establishing the route you want to go.
80%Long Live The Queen Review
Overall, Long Live The Queen is a really fun game with endless hours of replay value. It’s challenging and can seem initially a bit overwhelming in its vastness but will win you over with its charm and ability to not take things like failure seriously.
90%Long Live the Queen (Nintendo Switch)
Long Live the Queen puts your strategic thinking to the test in a deceptively simple way. It’s fun and addictive with a great aesthetic. Check it out if you’re a fan of point-and-click adventure games with a visual novel slant.
85%