The Council

80%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,992 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
The Council Game Cover
An interesting story and smart game design help The Council work despite an occasionally iffy script, questionable production values, and some pacing issues.
Starting at $5.30Buy now
Get on Steam

In "The Council," a narrative-driven adventure game, players step into the shoes of Louis de Richet, a member of a secret society, who receives an invitation to a private island from the mysterious Lord Mortimer. The game features five episodes, where players' choices and character development significantly impact the story's outcome. Engage with notable historical figures, such as Napoleon Bonaparte and George Washington, and uncover the island's dark secrets filled with intrigue and deception.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,992 reviews
story683 positive mentions
optimization38 negative mentions
  • Engaging and intricate storyline with many plot twists.
  • Choices genuinely matter, affecting character relationships and story outcomes.
  • Beautifully designed environments and character models, creating an immersive atmosphere.
  • The game suffers from poor optimization, often running at low frame rates.
  • Voice acting is inconsistent, with the main character's performance being particularly weak.
  • The story takes a bizarre turn in the later episodes, which may disappoint players expecting a more grounded narrative.
  • story1,919 mentions

    The story of "The Council" is a complex and engaging narrative that intertwines historical figures with themes of political intrigue and the occult. While the initial episodes are praised for their depth and unexpected twists, many players feel that the story loses coherence and quality in the later chapters, particularly with a significant plot twist that shifts the narrative focus. Despite its flaws, the game is noted for its rich storytelling and the impact of player choices on the unfolding events, making it a compelling experience for fans of narrative-driven games.

    • “The story is engaging and filled with intriguing twists and turns that will keep players on the edge of their seats.”
    • “The council offers a refreshing take on the narrative-driven genre, providing a rich and compelling story that will keep players guessing until the very end.”
    • “The story is quite intriguing, with many plot twists that can be expected as well as unexpected.”
    • “The plot falls apart, characters lose their depth, and the decisions that once mattered are rendered pointless.”
    • “However, after a while the story really started to lose me.”
    • “The story takes a sharp turn in the third act, however, and I found the story after that both much less interesting and borderline nonsensical.”
  • gameplay478 mentions

    The gameplay of "The Council" is a blend of narrative-driven choices and RPG mechanics, allowing players to develop skills that influence dialogue and interactions. While the game introduces innovative mechanics, such as a skill tree and confrontation system, many players feel these features are underutilized or become less impactful as the story progresses. Overall, the gameplay is engaging but marred by clunky controls and inconsistent execution, leading to a mixed reception among players.

    • “The gameplay focuses on manipulating and maneuvering through social encounters.”
    • “The gameplay is impeccable, featuring a unique RPG style where you unlock abilities such as linguistics or erudition that can help advance the story.”
    • “The gameplay is remarkable since the game design and its quality are very good, the graphics are also good and meet the expectations, especially since it's a game that shows many figures that existed in real life and maintains some dramatic vibes.”
    • “However, the gameplay can feel a bit clunky and lacks the polish seen in other titles of its genre.”
    • “While the game offers some interesting puzzles and choices, the execution in terms of gameplay mechanics leaves something to be desired.”
    • “The gameplay is solely based on choosing dialogue and sometimes reaction and skill checks; it’s fine but allows for strategic usage of items to help in those choices.”
  • graphics433 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful environments, detailed artwork, and unique art style that captures the game's historical setting. However, some players express disappointment over technical issues such as poor optimization, lack of graphic settings, and inconsistent character animations, which detract from the overall experience. While the visuals are generally considered appealing, they are often overshadowed by performance problems and a lack of polish in certain areas.

    • “The graphics are top-notch and the music suits the atmosphere very well.”
    • “The graphics, the lighting, the paintings, it all looks very beautiful.”
    • “The graphics are absolutely beautiful, especially the architecture and interior of the mansion.”
    • “Running it on a 4070 Super still leaves me disappointed, wanting more out of the visuals.”
    • “Accompanied by the fact there are no graphic settings at all, meaning also no FOV slider to reduce the nausea, settled it for me.”
    • “The graphics are surprisingly sharp, especially facial features and textures, but the overall performance is somewhat sluggish.”
  • atmosphere130 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its rich, immersive qualities, enhanced by stunning graphics, detailed environments, and a fitting soundtrack that evokes mystery and intrigue. While many players appreciate the depth of the setting and character interactions, some note inconsistencies in voice acting and dialogue that can disrupt immersion. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, drawing players into a captivating world filled with historical references and complex narratives.

    • “The graphics are top-notch and the music suits the atmosphere very well.”
    • “The storytelling and atmosphere will pull you into its enthralling world.”
    • “The atmosphere is absorbing, as I said.”
    • “Despite the game's attempts at being taken seriously, most 'serious' moments have awkward character movement, even more awkward voice lines, and background music that doesn't match the atmosphere whatsoever.”
    • “Overall, there are just too many things that completely break the immersion of the game, which relies on atmosphere as part of its storytelling.”
    • “However, sometimes the atmosphere might be ruined by the blank stare of the characters or their almost shut mouths when you can clearly see that they're talking out loud.”
  • replayability108 mentions

    The game offers high replayability due to its branching storylines, impactful choices, and RPG elements that allow players to explore different skills and outcomes. While many players appreciate the depth and variety of paths available, some express frustration over the lack of manual saves and the inability to skip dialogues, which can hinder the replay experience. Overall, the combination of multiple endings and character development contributes to a strong incentive for players to revisit the game.

    • “The RPG elements spice up the old traditional formula, adding a bit more to replayability.”
    • “This aspect of the game adds a layer of depth and replayability, encouraging players to explore different choices and see how they influence the story.”
    • “With RPG elements like three different skill trees to use while leveling up, the game unlocks skills that can be helpful in different situations, creating replayability.”
    • “The choice feature provides replay value, although they are very limited in variety, which is common in story-based games like this and Life is Strange.”
    • “Sadly, you cannot skip any dialogue, which in practice does not make the replayability very high.”
    • “I really, really wanted to like this game, but the replayability of this game for me is zero. If you are prepared to and have the patience for going through and listening to the very long cutscenes and dialogues for the second or third time, without any skip, then yes, there is replayability, but not for me.”
  • optimization101 mentions

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering, low frame rates, and poor audio synchronization, even on high-end hardware. Despite some positive aspects like graphics and voice acting, the overall experience is marred by a lack of polish and optimization, leading to frustration among users. Many recommend trying the game on lower settings or checking performance before purchasing, as the optimization problems significantly detract from the gameplay experience.

    • “I played at max settings but tried the lowest settings possible and it made exactly zero difference, so the issue is stemming from optimization/a leak somewhere.”
    • “Good design, interesting story, new concept yet horribly optimized.”
    • “The game really doesn't run smoothly.”
    • “The optimization of the game can be distracting at times; I've had voice lines not finish and stutters despite having a strong setup.”
    • “I wanted to like this game, but with the abysmal frames due to poor optimization, I was barely getting 40 fps even with an RTX 3080 and i7-9700K at 1440p.”
    • “The game is poorly optimized, so expect to use high TDP to hit consistent 30 fps even on the lowest settings.”
  • music90 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its atmospheric qualities and ability to enhance the game's themes of mystery and intrigue, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking diversity. Although the soundtrack is described as generally good and fitting for the setting, many players noted that it often fails to match the emotional tone of key moments, leading to an underwhelming overall experience. Voice acting and sound design are generally well-received, but inconsistencies in the music's execution detract from its potential impact.

    • “The graphics are top-notch and the music suits the atmosphere very well.”
    • “Music and sound effects also add to the atmosphere of the game, emphasizing its mystery and intrigue.”
    • “The audio design is fantastic, both music and audio effects in the game.”
    • “The background music and sound effects serve their purpose in creating atmosphere, but they don't do much to enhance the overall experience.”
    • “The soundtrack is lacking and has like 2 tracks on loop.”
    • “The musical score for the most part felt the same throughout the episode; no tension-fueled notes when a climactic event was happening, nor were there any somber tones during a more quiet human moment.”
  • grinding54 mentions

    The reviews indicate that grinding in the game is often perceived as tedious and repetitive, particularly due to excessive backtracking, convoluted puzzles, and lengthy dialogue. While some players found the story engaging enough to endure the grind, many expressed frustration with the lack of variety and the drawn-out nature of certain gameplay elements, leading to a diminished overall experience. Overall, the enjoyment of the game seems heavily dependent on individual tolerance for its grinding aspects.

    • “It had a good start and ending, but the middle part due to backtracking got a bit annoying, though not tedious.”
    • “At a certain point, it became very tedious and boring for me. It essentially just turned into a mediocre puzzle game with way too much dialogue filler.”
    • “If I had to give a one-word review of this game, it would be 'tedious.'”
    • “The puzzles are a bit tedious, not very complex, and don't give you a lot of satisfaction when solved.”
  • character development43 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally praised for its depth and integration into the storyline, with many players appreciating the choices that significantly impact character progression. However, there are mixed feelings about character design, with some finding it intriguing and fitting, while others criticize it for being unpolished or historically inaccurate. Overall, the character development mechanics are seen as a strong point, though some players suggest improvements for clarity and execution in future installments.

    • “It's a choices matter game with an interesting storyline with good character development.”
    • “I love the gameplay, with choices that affect character development and determine which clues you discover, and skills that level up and affect which choices you can make.”
    • “This game has fantastic character development that weaves into a deep story and graphic content.”
    • “On top of a few bugs that result in odd outcomes in puzzles, overall the character development suffers as some paths or options in a walkthrough don't work 100% of the time. I had instances where the walkthrough would give options to do something, but I didn't have those in-game.”
    • “Ultimately, where 'The Council' fails is in the character development, the voice casting/acting/audio quality, and the horrible script.”
    • “All these intrigues, conspiracies, manipulations, secret lodges, story building, character development - forget about it.”
  • stability36 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting various bugs and graphical glitches that can detract from the experience, particularly in dialogue synchronization and character animations. While some users experienced minimal issues and found the game enjoyable despite its flaws, others described it as a "buggy mess" that requires significant polish. Overall, while the game runs relatively well for some, the presence of persistent glitches remains a concern for many players.

    • “The game didn’t crash for me once in around fifteen hours, and it appears to be otherwise relatively bug-free.”
    • “It runs well, and I experienced no glitches whatsoever.”
    • “No glitches or bugs.”
    • “When I played this previously, the game was beset by all manner of bugs and glitches that made it pretty much unplayable.”
    • “I can't recommend this game due to the fact that it's a buggy mess.”
    • “Episode 3 clawed it back, but is buggy as hell and really could've used more polish.”
  • emotional29 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the engaging story and historical connections that evoke a sense of nostalgia and personal impact. However, criticisms arise regarding inconsistent voice acting and facial animations that detract from the emotional weight of key moments, leading to a disconnect between the narrative and character expressions. While some players feel a strong emotional connection and agency in their choices, others find the emotional highs lacking, particularly in pivotal scenes.

    • “The story, the connection to real history, and the emotional connection amazed me.”
    • “A really good adventure game is a singular pleasure, an experience that can touch you emotionally and intellectually like none other.”
    • “The council's decisions actually made me feel like I was changing the game's story, for better or worse, unlike Telltale's games where just a text would come up stating a character would remember that.”
  • humor28 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding the poor voice acting and crude animations unintentionally hilarious, leading to moments of genuine laughter. While the story can feel disjointed and the humor sometimes awkward, the quirky character interactions and unexpected plot twists contribute to an overall enjoyable experience. However, the inconsistent quality of voice acting and dialogue can detract from immersion, leaving some players feeling that the humor is hit-or-miss.

    • “The council has an interesting character system and a totally wacky setup that's lots of fun while you're laughing with the writers.”
    • “There are so many dialogue quick time events and hilarious opportunities to use skills you develop along the way that you'll want to play through it just to see what you can get away with saying!”
    • “I had to stop a couple of times because some events were so hilarious I couldn't stop laughing.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy in the game has been criticized for potentially restricting access to content, which some players feel detracts from the overall experience and suggests a focus on profit rather than player enjoyment.

    • “I feel like the devs really missed the mark with this game and just wanted a cash grab ever since Telltale died off recently.”
    • “The wrong choice can block you from parts of the game, which makes you pay attention and adds to the challenge.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

70% average critic score

Buy The Council

Play time

20hMedian play time
17hAverage play time
14hMain story
19hCompletionist
9-24hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 9 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News