Sovereign Syndicate

About

"Sovereign Syndicate" is a Victorian steampunk cRPG that allows you to explore an open world and play as three characters with intertwining stories. Use skills to level them up and trust your fate to the tarot card chance system for interactions with NPCs. The game features a skill and etiqu system, where the skills you use will improve, and NPCs react to your choices. Combat, persuasion, magic, or explosives are some of the methods you can use to solve problems in the dangerous docklands.

Genres & Tags

Role Playing

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 213 reviews

story68 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

Engaging story with intriguing characters set in a rich Victorian steampunk world.
Unique tarot card system for skill checks adds a fresh twist to the gameplay.
High replayability due to multiple protagonists and branching narrative paths.

Camera movement can be disorienting and may cause motion sickness for some players.
Lack of meaningful choices and consequences can make the gameplay feel linear and restrictive.
Some technical issues, such as slow character movement and frequent loading screens, detract from the overall experience.

story
250 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
71%
2%
The story of "Sovereign Syndicate" is set in a richly crafted steampunk world, featuring three distinct characters whose narratives intertwine in a murder mystery filled with intrigue and moral dilemmas. While the writing is praised for its depth and complexity, some players feel the pacing is uneven, with a slow start and a conclusion that feels more like a setup for future installments rather than a satisfying resolution. Overall, the game offers an engaging narrative experience, though it may not fully capitalize on its role-playing potential, leaving some players wanting more from character development and plot progression.
- “Three characters, an intriguing mystery guiding the story, and a delightfully grim look into a steampunk setting that is sure to be appreciated by fans of the genre.”
- “The game masterfully combines choice-driven storytelling with compelling RPG mechanics, making each decision feel significant.”
- “The level of detail, the depth of the characters, the way the story unfolded – it is a journey worth taking.”
- “The world is an interesting one, but it's not enough, especially when the characters don't go all that far beyond a general idea of a character template and the plot takes more than half the game to get going.”
- “The plot doesn't really lead to anything grander like you are kind of led to expect, and the whole game has a kind of prologue feeling to it.”
- “As a story, Sovereign Syndicate starts off well, but with each subsequent chapter, it becomes more and more tedious, relying more on the most banal clichés, and by the end, I was simply clicking the 'next' button hoping it would end.”
gameplay
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
83%
4%
The gameplay of "Sovereign Syndicate" draws heavily from the mechanics of "Disco Elysium," featuring a narrative-driven experience with character interactions and tarot card-inspired skill checks. While the game offers an engaging story and layered characters, many reviewers noted that the RPG mechanics feel shallow and underdeveloped, often detracting from the overall experience. Despite its innovative ideas, the gameplay is primarily focused on dialogue and reading, with limited exploration and mechanical depth, leading to mixed feelings about its execution.
- “In terms of gameplay, expect a similar style to 'Disco Elysium' where you walk around and interact with various characters and objects, have skills related to the character you're playing as, and the skill checks have a very interesting tarot-card inspired mechanic.”
- “The innovative tarot card-based skill system enhances gameplay, making decisions and skill checks feel impactful and uniquely tied to each character’s abilities and background.”
- “The game masterfully combines choice-driven storytelling with compelling RPG mechanics, making each decision feel significant.”
- “Having to reload and blindly click through 100 lines of dialogue you've already read, 6 times, until the toss of a coin is finally in your favor... that was tiresome 40 years ago, that was fixed 25 years ago with smart mechanics, and for unfathomable reasons, the annoyance is trending again these days.”
- “The RPG mechanics are exceedingly shallow.”
- “While this might be acceptable in a game with other gameplay mechanics, when 95% of the experience is simply reading the writing, this is a huge problem, and not one that can be balanced out by other things.”
graphics
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
44%
7%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful steampunk aesthetic, intricate character art, and atmospheric visuals that enhance the storytelling. However, some players noted that the overall graphical fidelity is average, with a lack of variety in backgrounds and a desire for more hand-drawn elements. Despite these criticisms, the art style and music are often highlighted as standout features that contribute to an immersive experience.
- “Admittedly, it was the aesthetics of the setting and the stunning character art of Atticus Daley that first drew me in—I'm partial to minotaurs, as any of my D&D friends can confirm.”
- “The haunting soundtrack and hand-painted visuals add depth to this meticulously crafted setting, making every moment feel alive and immersive.”
- “The artwork is fitting and the music is often great, setting the mood perfectly for a world that is riddled with dystopian darkness and just few enough slivers of light to not completely lose hope.”
- “The game would have been better served as a visual novel, since the strongest part about the game are the comics and some of the visuals, though the overall world looks very bland and unintentionally colorless.”
- “Graphically, the lack of resources is evident.”
- “To address other, minor issues first: the 3D art style for backgrounds is fairly dull and unimpressive, and I think the game would have benefited significantly by having a more hand-drawn/stylized aesthetic, but I acknowledge that that may have been too ambitious for how small the dev team were.”
music
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
59%
10%
The music in the game is generally described as atmospheric and fitting, enhancing the immersive experience, though it often remains in the background rather than being a standout feature. While some players appreciated the haunting soundtrack and its ability to set the mood, others found it forgettable or repetitive, with only a few notable tracks. Overall, the sound design complements the visuals well, but the music could have benefited from more variety and prominence.
- “The haunting soundtrack and hand-painted visuals add depth to this meticulously crafted setting, making every moment feel alive and immersive.”
- “The visual design of the game was very nice, the atmosphere was very strong throughout (of course this was helped by the music, which really was a great fit for the game throughout!).”
- “The artwork is fitting and the music is often great, setting the mood perfectly for a world that is riddled with dystopian darkness and just few enough slivers of light to not completely lose hope.”
- “The same extremely dull music loops far too quickly.”
- “Apart from the writing, the graphics are average and the music is forgettable.”
- “Additionally, the music is fine but nothing noteworthy.”
atmosphere
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
74%
11%
16%
The atmosphere of "Sovereign Syndicate" is highly praised for its masterful blend of steampunk aesthetics and intricate storytelling, creating a compelling Victorian-inspired world filled with intrigue. Reviewers highlight the strong visual design, fitting soundtrack, and immersive sound effects that enhance the gritty, atmospheric setting, making it a standout experience for fans of deep role-playing games. Overall, the game's worldbuilding and character depth contribute to a rich and engaging atmosphere that captivates players.
- “Sovereign Syndicate masterfully blends steampunk aesthetics with intricate storytelling, creating an atmospheric Victorian-inspired world teeming with intrigue.”
- “The worldbuilding is great, the dreary atmosphere works really well to pull you into the story, and the narrative dialogue style meshes well with the tarot system.”
- “The steampunk London setting is atmospheric and gritty, and the characters are complex and compelling.”
- “This game has real atmosphere.”
- “However, the world and atmosphere that Sovereign Syndicate establishes were so compelling to me that I was left curious for more.”
- “- The use of tarot cards instead of dice for trait checks added atmosphere.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to repetitive exploration and fetch quests that require revisiting the same locations and interacting with the same characters. This repetitiveness detracts from the overall experience, leading to frustration as players navigate through banal tasks and unclear quest progression. While the story starts strong, it becomes increasingly monotonous, prompting players to rush through the narrative.
- “I do love the setting and the writing so far, but the exploration feels tedious.”
- “Especially when you walk around the exact same locations and see the exact same things and talk to the same exact people the other characters did while doing tedious chores and fetch quests.”
- “As a story, Sovereign Syndicate starts off well, but with each subsequent chapter, it becomes more and more tedious, relying more on the most banal clichés, and by the end, I was simply clicking the 'next' button hoping it would end.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
"Sovereign Syndicate" boasts high replayability due to its layered characters, impactful choices, and diverse character builds that significantly alter narrative outcomes. Players can explore different skills and attributes, enhancing the experience and encouraging multiple playthroughs, making it a worthwhile investment for fans of story-driven games.
- “Featuring interesting, layered characters in a richly constructed world with 'Disco Elysium'-style mechanics, 'Sovereign Syndicate' is well-written and has very high replayability value.”
- “The choices really make a difference, creating a highly replayable experience that fans of story-driven games will love.”
- “I found the story intriguing, with its Jack the Ripper-like mystery, and appreciated the depth and replayability offered by different character builds.”
- “I found the story intriguing, with its Jack the Ripper-like mystery, but I don't think it offers much in terms of replayability.”
- “The different skills and attributes change certain narrative outcomes, but overall, the replayability feels limited.”
- “While it's more than worth its price, I expected more replay value than what was delivered.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features sharp writing infused with dry British humor that complements its steampunk Victorian London setting. Characters, particularly the sidekick, contribute humor and depth to the narrative, while dialogue choices based on the four humors add a unique twist to character development. Overall, the humor is well-executed and enhances the engaging storytelling.
- “First off, the writing is quite good and with a good dash of dry British humor that almost feels diegetic to the setting it is in.”
- “He's more than just a sidekick; he’s a character that adds a touch of humor and heart to the story.”
- “It's a smaller, simpler version, to be sure, but the characters are great, the writing is solid (and often funny), and steampunk Victorian London is a setting I didn't know I needed in my life until now!”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Overall, the game's stability is generally good, with solid performance on PC and the Steam Deck. However, players have reported minor visual glitches, particularly with the camera and character navigation, leading to occasional bugs that may require reloading saves. These issues suggest a need for future patches to enhance stability further.
- “Good performance on the deck with no glitches.”
- “As you can see from the trailers, the graphics look pretty good and the PC version runs great even at max settings.”
- “Some visual glitches, notably with the camera in specific spots, some of them leading to navigation issues.”
- “Minor bugs and glitches are present; for example, sometimes my character got stuck near a wall and could not move or fast travel (because I was inside a building), so I had to reload my last save. Fortunately, it wasn’t very old, but I was able to replicate the glitch on the same walls, so it’s probably something that needs to be addressed through patches.”
- “Occasional bugs and glitches.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
60%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally solid, with good performance and minimal glitches reported. However, players have noted frustrations with slow character movement and the need for excessive backtracking, which can detract from the experience. While there are a few bugs, the game remains enjoyable and worth the investment.
- “Good performance on the deck with no glitches.”
- “And I did not yet have any performance issues or anything, so that's great too!”
- “Beyond that, a few bugs, and somewhat forgettable music (save the vocal performance, which was fantastic), this game was still absolutely worth the time and cost of admission.”
- “Controls are straightforward, but I really feel like you move too slowly. Since you have to run all over the map sometimes to find clues (or blindly figure out what will trigger progress, which happens way too often), I have found myself playing this game in bursts because I get frustrated running slowly back and forth to the train station to locate a clue.”
- “The optimization in this game is severely lacking. The character movement feels sluggish, making exploration tedious and frustrating.”
- “I often find myself stuck in a loop of backtracking due to poor optimization. The slow pace of movement combined with the need to search for clues makes the experience feel unnecessarily drawn out.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Character development in Sovereign Syndicate is highlighted for its unique approach, particularly through the use of body "humours" that influence gameplay and character moods. The game is praised for its strong narrative focus, reminiscent of titles like Disco Elysium and Gamedeck, making it a standout in the indie detective RPG genre.
- “I was reminded of Disco Elysium and Gamedec in terms of their emphasis on character development and world-building.”
- “The body 'humours' as a kind of character development is unique, and the characters' mood affects the gameplay in different ways.”
- “Overall, Sovereign Syndicate is an excellent low-budget indie detective RPG that focuses on narrative-driven gameplay, character development, and dialogue.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that while the game attempts to evoke strong emotions, the script falls short, resulting in a mixed emotional impact; some players felt a degree of curiosity and emotion, but overall, the narrative lacked the depth needed for a more profound emotional experience.
- “The main story made me curious and a little emotional.”