The independent English studio Nerial, pushed by the publisher Devolver Digital, has developed the game Reigns where you play as a king who must make decisions for his kingdom. The difficulty is that you only have two possible choices each time but let's see that in more detail in this overview.
You are the king of the kingdom and as such you must lead / guide it towards prosperity. Unlike strategy or management games, Reigns is simply a card game where you only have two choices to make per turn. Each of your actions will however have a consequence, immediate but also on the future of your kingdom, each time favoring one or more aspects of your kingdom. You will have to be careful with your relations with the different entities otherwise you will be overthrown sooner or later. The four that you must manage in your kingdom are the church, the villagers, the army and the riches. Be careful because if the bars of one of these four reach 0, you will die but also the reverse. Indeed, if the church has 100% favor, it will take control of your kingdom by exiling you. You will understand that the whole game is based on an ability to maintain balance.
The game takes on its full meaning when you die. Indeed, when you fail to manage your kingdom well, you are banished or killed. Another king will take your place, but it will be up to you to make his decisions. In itself, the game does not have much of an unhappy end and each of your deaths will also give you new objectives to achieve with new cards that will open up new possibilities and challenges. For example, you will meet the devil with whom you can make a pact or a doctor who can help your kingdom. And, with this system, the choices will reverberate even after you die!
As you advance, you will unlock new challenges, the two most striking are dungeons and duels. The first will allow you to go to a dungeon and get lost there. Your kingdom will therefore be without a sovereign and you will have to get out as quickly as possible so as not to die or be replaced. The advantage of the dungeon is that you can collect huge sums of money. Duels are a means of showing your authority but also of unlocking skills for your kings.
Reigns is a good little game that allows you to have fun for a while without having to worry too much. The more we advance, the easier it is not to die. The investment being low (3 euros not even the price of a kebab), it makes you want to play even more! And casually, I admit having spent a lot of hours trying in vain (at least at the beginning) to maintain my kingdom against all odds.
