I’m not really sure where to begin discussing The Silent Kingdom. After playing through the Early Access demo, I’m amazed by what this solo team has created. While playing, I tried to find aspects of this upcoming otome RPG that I could share with the developer to help them improve, but it appears they already have a solid grasp on laying out the foundation of an adventure with dashes of suspense and romance—elements I couldn’t help but get invested in. It’s projects like these that I enjoy stumbling upon because more people need to talk about them. These are ultimately the projects that will elevate the genre, and The Silent Kingdom will likely be something special.
A Captivating Storyline
The Silent Kingdom opens with Princess Erinys waking up on the day of her thirteenth birthday. However, something is off. Maybe it’s the fact that she’s actually 20, but everyone seems convinced she’s only 13, so she just goes with the flow. It isn’t long before the oddities become more apparent, and she must fight to escape this mind prison. Evidently, she’s stuck in a dream world, and her kingdom has been cursed and turned to stone. Erinys finds her way to a witch who reveals a path out of this dream world. However, to lift the curse and free her people, she’ll need to commit the taboo act of killing the four goddesses who reside across each region.
Thankfully, the prologue does a great job of laying out the necessary history and information you’ll need to understand the various regions and their rulers. However, it’s not until you encounter the King—or a version of him—that you realize he’s planning to go to war. Even though he knows he’s made mistakes and that his actions will affect Erinys, he moves forward anyway. This trait carries over to Erinys, who faces difficult choices of her own, even if that means defying the gods. Those closest to her rally behind her, but they always give her the chance to step away or take a different path.
Ambitious Gameplay Mechanics
The choices in the opening chapters can be a bit confusing on a first playthrough. It seems Erinys has a range of ways she can approach interactions with others and her mission. Through dialogue choices, players can be snappy or even lazy in some circumstances. It’s super ambitious in practice because some choices are exceptionally black and white when it comes to the outcome of your actions. There are also choices that affect Erinys’ stats. Oh yeah, this game is also an RPG.
During gameplay, players can explore various towns and dungeons as they navigate the world. There are objects and NPCs to interact with, but the biggest surprise for me was the battle system and random encounters. Battles aren’t as straightforward as I expected. Character classes vary, but each party member acts as a support to Erinys. The fights have a puzzle-like aspect that forces you to do more than just mash “attack.” In fact, you’ll probably die in every battle if you try that. Players must utilize each character’s special abilities and buffs to make it through fights.
For starters, Erinys can buff other characters, but I’d also consider her a viable attacker. Other party members can use magic abilities or defensive moves to help the party out. It instills a sense of teamwork that can’t be ignored, and I had a lot of fun strategically planning each turn. Furthermore, pressing the action button at the right time can improve your defenses against attacks. It’s a fun system that offers a high level of challenge. I will note that the random field encounters aren’t as difficult as event battles, so they tend to go by faster.
Early Access Performance and Final Thoughts
One last point: given the game’s Early Access status, performance can be hit or miss. There’s some on-screen stuttering while navigating maps, and Erinys’s run speed could be a bit faster in dungeons. Some sections of the map are lengthy, and while I want to explore everything, sometimes it’s too out of the way. Still, this doesn’t really detract from my overall enjoyment, because there’s so much the game does right. On a foundational level, everything is sound, but I’m curious to see where the story and love interests go from here. Oh yeah, this is an otome, and although you don’t have to date anyone if you don’t want to, the datable characters I met were pretty cool. I’m just waiting for them to show their toxic side at this point.
The Silent Kingdom has blown me away. The writing for Erinys lets players shape a unique path forward for her, but her unwavering loyalty to her people defines her as a protagonist. There’s so much packed into this opening chapter that I’m eager to see how the full game unfolds. If you want to support this developer and have an itch for a unique and gorgeous RPG, look no further. The Silent Kingdom is in Steam Early Access now.
