Suzerain

About

"Suzerain is a single-player, text-based historical role-playing game with wonderful mechanics and dense atmosphere. As President Anton Rayne, lead the country of Sordland through political drama and economic crisis after a 20-year dictatorship. Experience tough choices, humor, and high emotional stakes in this grind-heavy, replayable game with excellent music and visuals."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

+13

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,923 reviews

story593 positive mentions

grinding32 negative mentions

Engaging and immersive narrative that makes players feel the weight of their decisions.
Rich world-building with well-developed characters and multiple branching paths.
High replayability with various endings based on player choices.

Lack of clear feedback on the consequences of decisions, leading to frustration.
Forced ironman mode with no ability to save or reload, making it tedious to replay.
Some choices feel arbitrary and can lead to abrupt game overs without clear reasoning.

story
1,474 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
58%
2%
The story of "Suzerain" is widely praised for its depth, complexity, and emotional engagement, drawing players into a richly crafted political narrative where choices significantly impact outcomes. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to weave intricate character arcs and plot twists, making each playthrough feel unique despite some linearity in the overarching storyline. While the text-heavy format may deter some, those who appreciate immersive storytelling and political intrigue find it to be a compelling experience worth multiple replays.
- “The story is gripping and full of twists and turns.”
- “A truly compelling story with a lot of replay value!”
- “The game presents an incredibly well-crafted and compelling story with decisions that have very large impacts as the game progresses.”
- “The long drawn story with only small variations becomes a time drain by the third playthrough.”
- “The storyline is so well done, but the game lacks the variations in events and story to warrant the auto save in use beyond the first playthrough.”
- “The story hinges on decisions the player makes and failure is a common outcome which would be an appreciated breath of fresh air in a climate of political games where the player can't lose; however, suzerain is incredibly tedious to replay and obfuscates which choices matter.”
gameplay
371 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
75%
4%
The gameplay of Suzerain is primarily text-based, focusing on dialogue choices and decision-making that significantly impact the narrative and political landscape. While the writing and world-building are praised for their depth and engagement, many players find the mechanics lacking, with limited interactivity and a frustrating reliance on trial-and-error due to opaque systems. Overall, the game is more of a visual novel with minimal gameplay elements, which may appeal to fans of narrative-driven experiences but could disappoint those seeking traditional gameplay mechanics.
- “Excellent story, excellent writing, excellent gameplay.”
- “The gameplay consists of making choices, decisions, or laws that affect the overall progress of your nation's budget, foreign relations, society, or economy.”
- “The gameplay is deceptively simple - you view a beautiful map of your nation and click through to read various news and government reports, before heading into meetings, events, and conversations where you get to know the colorful cast of supporting characters.”
- “The mechanics around the budget are very poorly explained.”
- “There is practically no gameplay, but it is instead almost entirely story-driven.”
- “Most of what the game has to offer can literally be either read as a transcript via a walkthrough guide or watched as a gameplay video and you wouldn't miss out on anything, which is absolutely pathetic.”
replayability
277 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
61%
5%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising its extensive branching choices and multiple endings that encourage exploration of different paths. However, some reviewers noted that repetitive dialogue and a linear progression can hinder the experience, making subsequent playthroughs feel tedious. Overall, while there is significant potential for replayability, it may vary based on individual preferences and play styles.
- “The story is well-written and keeps you invested, and the many different outcomes ensure replayability.”
- “This game has a ton of replayability, and the story/writing is great.”
- “The game allows for much replayability and the multiple paths to the varied endings makes it a joy to play again.”
- “This is a flawed game, a slow choose your own adventure which encourages replayability but forces you to go through the same screens over and over.”
- “The biggest minus is that despite being replayable, it is designed as if it's a linear game to be played just once, so replaying is somewhat tedious.”
- “Unfortunately, what makes it great (a coherent, well-written story with highly meaningful choices) is also what limits its replayability.”
music
167 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
49%
2%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance immersion and complement the narrative, with many reviewers noting its emotional impact during key moments. However, some players express disappointment over the limited variety and repetitiveness of the soundtrack, wishing for more diverse tracks to match different situations. Overall, while the soundtrack is considered excellent and atmospheric, its lack of length and variety detracts from the experience for some players.
- “The soundtrack is amazing and perfectly complements the emotions attached to different events and conversations, putting you in the perfect headspace and making you feel truly immersed in the world.”
- “The music fits so well with the narrative, creating a beautifully crafted atmosphere that enhances the overall experience of the game.”
- “The soundtrack is so perfectly immersive, and the gravity and complexity of your choices is palpable at all times.”
- “Unfortunately, the soundtrack itself is not long, while the game - because of the reading - is multiple times longer.”
- “The characters are drab, the art style is dirty-looking, and the soundtrack is demoralizing.”
- “Overall, the soundtrack is a mixed bag; most tracks are repetitive and merely background noise, while some tracks are amazing and really make the game much more emotional.”
graphics
130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
68%
3%
The graphics in this game are generally described as simple yet effective, with a minimalist art style that complements its text-based gameplay. While some players appreciate the clean design and aesthetic quality, others note that the visuals are limited and do not significantly enhance the overall experience. Overall, the game prioritizes narrative and gameplay over graphical complexity, making it suitable for those who value story-driven content.
- “The visuals are so packed with detail.”
- “The graphics are fitting, the sound is reasonable, and the decisions feel like real decisions.”
- “Beautiful graphical style and excellent writing make this already excellent set of mechanics into a masterpiece.”
- “The graphics are simple but very effective, with sort of a cool board game aesthetic.”
- “How is it possible that the map of the game has some slick graphical effects and 3D models on the table, yet for huge events such as my re-election or world summit meetings I am still stuck staring at the same map and the same gray text window taking up most of my screen?”
- “Staring at text windows got a bit stale for me after a few hours, and the monotony of the background visuals (a map, basically) & music didn't really help.”
emotional
107 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "Suzerain" is widely praised, with players expressing deep investment in the narrative and characters, often feeling intense pride, heartbreak, and anxiety over their decisions. Many reviewers noted that the game evokes genuine emotional responses, making them feel like they were truly navigating the complexities of political leadership and personal relationships. Overall, the game's writing and character development create a compelling emotional journey that resonates long after the playthrough.
- “Suzerain kept me thinking about the game during day and sleeptime and made me cry twice.”
- “An amazingly well-written game offering an incredible amount of deep, meaningful choices - the results of which made me feel many things.”
- “The characters are incredibly well written and the story sucks you into one hell of an emotional roller coaster.”
atmosphere
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
31%
6%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and emotionally charged environment, effectively capturing the tension and political intrigue reminiscent of the 1950s Cold War era. Players appreciate the masterful integration of music, visuals, and writing, which together create a compelling narrative that deeply invests them in the characters and their choices. However, some reviewers note that the pacing can be frustrating due to lengthy text sequences, which may detract from the overall experience.
- “The atmosphere is great and it forces you to make difficult decisions that have a true impact on the game.”
- “Immersive, atmospheric, well designed and something you just have to experience.”
- “The game creates the atmosphere of tension and scarcity brilliantly and the codex contains all the vital information so you do not need to memorize every detail of your acquaintances' lives.”
- “I understand, the developers wanted to create a special game atmosphere, but providing three or four greeting responses at the beginning of every dialogue (that doesn’t affect anything) is too much.”
- “The game roughly feels like a 1950s Cold War era, and the atmosphere is set up to feel very gloomy, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it all really piles up on top of you emotionally when you are trying so hard to make the right decisions and things constantly go wrong.”
- “I find that the most significant problem with political games is that it's very difficult to form an attachment to a fake country you're leading without the right world-building, characters, and atmosphere.”
grinding
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
15%
80%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for its tediousness, as players must endure lengthy dialogues and extensive text without the ability to skip or save at will, making multiple playthroughs feel laborious. Many reviewers note that while the game offers replayability, the lack of clarity on impactful choices and the overwhelming amount of filler content detracts from the experience, often requiring players to rely on guides. Overall, the repetitive nature of the gameplay and the necessity for trial-and-error lead to a frustrating grind that diminishes enjoyment.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “No tedious tasks, no repetitive micromanaging.”
- “The story hinges on decisions the player makes and failure is a common outcome which would be an appreciated breath of fresh air in a climate of political games where the player can't lose; however, Suzerain is incredibly tedious to replay and obfuscates which choices matter, meaning the player is heavily encouraged to use a guide, which is detrimental to the storytelling experience.”
- “This makes it incredibly tedious to repeat multiple playthroughs, especially if the player is just almost managing to toe the line perfectly.”
- “Replaying the game is tedious because it takes so long to skip to the major decisions.”
humor
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing and well-timed jokes, often providing a lighthearted contrast to the serious themes of politics and governance. Players appreciate the witty dialogue and humorous references, which add depth and entertainment to the gameplay experience, while also acknowledging the game's ability to evoke a range of emotions, from laughter to discomfort. Overall, the humor serves as a redeeming quality, enhancing the game's narrative and engagement.
- “A well-written simulation game that is humorous at times and also can scare you when you think about real-world choices that are presented as you play as the leader of a nation.”
- “The dialogue is witty, the world filled with deep lore, and the humor of the game shines through when you need a chuckle.”
- “Of course, this doesn't stop the game creators from injecting some humor in the game - I won't spoil any of the jokes or references, but I had a couple of good chuckles when I stumbled upon them.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with many players reporting smooth performance even on lower-end machines. However, some users have experienced performance issues that seem to worsen over time, and there are calls for better performance indicators and user experience improvements. While the game excels in providing a rich political simulation, it may not satisfy those looking for detailed micro-management or fully open-ended gameplay.
- “I experienced no performance issues in 25 hours over multiple long sessions.”
- “Probably one of the best political simulators I have ever played, you have tons of possibilities, whether to reform the constitution to a more democratic one, to reform it in order to strengthen your authority, or you can work with the old guards to protect it, and this game runs great on low/medium performance machines. The graphics can also easily be adjusted to ensure maximum performance.”
- “Overall, highly recommend the game if you want something that is more reading/storytelling that pulls you in - but would not recommend if you need something that requires you to micro-manage optimizations or has a completely 100% open path as Suzerain's approach tends to be much more 'broad strokes' decision-making process vs trying to define the nuanced details of politics.”
- “There are no performance indicators, no way to plan anything or choose what to do outside of the linear chain forced on the player, no way to hire/fire anybody.”
- “However, the end game resume doesn't give much of a framework to compare my performance with.”
- “Overall, I highly recommend the game if you want something that is more reading/storytelling that pulls you in - but would not recommend if you need something that requires you to micro-manage optimizations or has a completely open path, as Suzerain's approach tends to be much more 'broad strokes' decision-making process vs trying to define the nuanced details of politics.”
stability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
82%
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with some players praising its performance on low to medium machines and noting minimal bugs, while others report significant issues such as game-breaking glitches and crashes. Despite these problems, many find the gameplay and story engaging, though the presence of bugs can detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the game shows promise, its stability remains a concern for some users.
- “As far as I can tell, the game is bug-free and I've seen 0 typos in the main game and only 2 in the codex.”
- “This game runs great on low/medium performance machines, and the graphics can easily be adjusted to ensure maximum performance.”
- “Excellent game, but still too buggy to recommend.”
- “Good concept but seems buggy; my first game got derailed by a game-breaking bug.”
- “Game is good but it glitches and crashes sometimes.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The character development in the game is praised for its depth and distinctiveness, with believable story arcs that enhance the overall narrative. While the game simplifies complex political concepts, it successfully integrates RPG elements that allow for meaningful character growth. The recent 2.0 update further enriches the lore and character experiences, making it a worthwhile journey for players.
- “It adds an interesting story and character development to a solid political simulation.”
- “This might not be as complex or as detailed as the Democracy game series, but the art, the story, and the journey of character development this game offers are more than worthwhile of your time.”
- “And, with the 2.0 update, you'll have even more content, lore, character development, and headaches.”
- “This might not be as complex or as detailed as the Democracy game series, but the art, the story, and the journey of character development this game has to offer are more than worthwhile of your time.”
- “The character development in particular is something special; everyone feels distinct and real with believable story arcs.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game features no microtransactions and is free of major bugs, with active developer support; however, players criticize the advertising as mismatched and misleading, suggesting it does not accurately represent the game's shallow content.
- “Thankfully, there's no microtransactions, no major bugs, and the developers are very active.”
- “Can't recommend because advertising doesn't match the game, which is fairly shallow.”