Image credit: Suzerain by Torpor Games
Founded in
2017, Torpor Games is an indie video game company based in Berlin that focuses
on creating thought-provoking entertainment.
The company’s first
title, Suzerain, has recently won the Best Expert Game at the German Game Awards 2021. It
is a Serious Game that allows players to experience leading a country in political
turmoil. The publisher, Fellow Traveller, is an indie games label exploring the possibility space of narrative games. They seek out and partner with pioneering game
developers working on unusual games with narrative at their core.
Suzerain is a text-based RPG where you play as President Anton Rayne,
managing the country of Sordland in your first term. Sordland has been under
the leadership of Colonel Soll for the past 20 years, after he ended a bloody
civil war. A military dictator, he eventually lost the support of his party,
and decided to resign, albeit maintaining a controversial position as a Member
of Honor. In his absence, you win the 1953 elections and are expected to shape
the nation of Sordland as you see fit and carve out your legacy.
With over
400,000 words, Suzerain is as much like playing a game as reading a
novel and choosing the next move. There isn’t a right answer or an explicit
winning scenario. It is about strategic decision-making and choices. Decisions
generally are distinct from the choices presented by reforms and bills.
Image credit: Suzerain by Torpor Games
Most of the decisions you take will appear written in the journal, detailing the path you chose.
By choosing
conversations and life paths, players use their skills of persuasion and
political values to reform a fictional country. You must find your own way
through the complicated political landscape of your presidency and lead
Sordland into ruin or repair during your first term.
Game Context
and Gameplay
In 1954, the
country of Sordland is emerging from the 20-year dictatorship of Colonel Soll,
following a bloody civil war. Now Soll is gone but his political party is still
in control of Sordland — until a charismatic young man, Anton Rayne, surprises
everyone by rising to the top of the party and getting elected as the new
President of Sordland.
In the game, you roleplay Anton Rayne, a man who by whatever shape or form you give him becomes President of Sordland. The introduction is simple, as is most of the game, but detailed. You have the opportunity to work through several aspects of Mr. Rayne’s childhood, adolescence and into his adulthood and career, molding not only him but some of his policies and leanings. It’s a great way to do it, and it also sets up your expectations for how the game will work, and what kind of President you are creating.
Image credit: Suzerain by Torpor Games
Suzerain takes place in the fictional country of Sordland on
the continent of Merkopa.
After decades
under a traditionalist power, people are hungry for democratic reforms. The
economy is in shambles and the political landscape is shifting. Neighboring
superpowers are watching closely, and there are military threats on the
horizon.
As President
Anton Rayne, the game challenges you to pull the country out of recession and meet
the demands of people for reform, working closely with the Cabinet members to
forge strong government policies and practices while keeping Sordland out of
war. You will tackle difficult choices on immigration, healthcare, law
enforcement, and more. Even outside the office, your beliefs will be challenged
among your friends and your family.
It is through
interactions with the enormous cast of characters in Suzerain that you
govern and create policy. You have your inner circle of political advisors, a
fractious cabinet of ministers who have quite different political visions and
personal goals, a broader landscape of important politicians and leaders, and
an international community full of fellow heads of state. Most decisions you
make will occur after hearing your ministers and advisors argue their sides of
an issue, and then you have to make a call.
Image credit: Suzerain by Torpor Games
Interact with a wide array of characters with different
personalities and ideologies.
Suzerain gameplay is somewhat similar to a choose-your-own adventure
book, so you are going to read as things happen or as people talk and then make
dialogue choices to advance forward.
Image credit: Suzerain by Torpor Games
Follow the situation in Sordland through reports and news.
More than just a political drama, Suzerain lets you craft an individual narrative for the president of Sordland. According to Taming Gaming:
“The dense
text of this game is best suited for mature players who don’t mind reading long
letters, manifestos, and wordy conversations. The expanse of information at
your fingertips is key for the complex world-building and makes for a
believable political experience. This offers an educational opportunity for
anyone wanting to expand their understanding of foreign policy, relationship
building and the dynamics of a cabinet or senate.”
The title is available for both Mac and Windows platforms.