Steam’s Visual Novel Fest has just ended where it celebrated various titles with gripping narratives by including discounts and demos. The fest presented a great opportunity to get a glimpse at some thrilling storytelling from indie studios such as Black Tabby Game’s Slay the Princess. Slay the Princess is a quirky choice-driven horror-comedy RPG game where players must decide whether or not to comply with orders to slay a Princess.
The fully voiced game’s cast includes award-winning writer Jonathan Sims (The Magnus Archives) as the all-knowing Voice and thoughts. Along with award-winning composer Brandon Boone and Nichole Goodnight (SPC Archives) as the Princess. The demo is compromised of the first two chapters but can result in various endings and allow multiple playthroughs.
Slay the Princess starts with the player receiving a mission from a mysterious Voice to slay the captured Princess that has been locked up in a remote cabin in the woods. The Voice tells the player that if they fail, then the Princess will end the world. However, doubts creep into your thoughts as you begin to question the trustworthiness of both the Voice and the Princess. The Voice’s constant jeering, followed by his failure to mention the weird scene changes or things happening around you creates an uneasy atmosphere. Meeting the Princess doesn’t clear up the tension either. Her words don’t always match her actions and the music playing quickly alternates around her.
Credit: Black Tabby Games
First Impressions
The game is visually stunning with its unique paper and pencil artwork by Abby Howard. These traditionally hand-drawn scenes create an eerie feel as they animate in the background throughout the storyline. The bushes, trees, and other objects move as the satirical narrator guides you through your quest. As your advisor in the journey, the voice’s only objective is to make sure you go to the hidden cabin and slay the Princess. Because of this, you are beginning to question yourself, if you should really do this and follow through or simply walk away.
Slay the Princess allows you to choose from various responses according to how you want to play. You can decide to play without questioning and talking to the narrator or you can argue your case and tell the voice how you feel about the mission. Similarly, you can also refuse to do anything and give up altogether. As you progress in the game, you come to find a cabin in the middle of the woods. You enter it to look for the hidden Princess. However, you notice that not everything is as it seems since things continue to change based on the path you chose for yourself.
Your thoughts continue to form suspicion when you meet the Princess. Then, it’s time to make the crucial decision as the voice antagonizes you to uphold your task. The Princess will take a form based on previous answers and you can even try to humor or flirt with her in her current situation. Since the game is a horror story, your actions with the Princess will impact what happens next. Then a new chapter begins. Everything restarts and only you will remember what happened in the previous chapter while the Voice remembers nothing.
Credit: Black Tabby GamesFinal Thoughts
The demo’s captivating storytelling can really amp up the spookiness with its creepy voice acting, scenes, and music. How you react to the narrator’s information impacts the ending of the Princess and what form she takes. Additionally, the chilling art also gets affected by the player’s countless outcomes. With its dark humor, creepy art, and fun storyline, Slay the Princess is unquestionably a visual novel to keep an eye out for.
Slay the Princess is expected to release later this year. Players can look forward to an announcement and new trailer from the highly-acclaimed studio at Feardemic and IGN’s Fear Fest on September 6
The demo is currently live and can be found on Steam.
Check out the trailer for Slay the Princess down below!
