2023 has been a year filled with hits from nearly every video game genre. With so many games available, there certainly isn’t a lack of games to play or watch on streaming services like Twitch. However, some of those games are so focused on story-telling and player choice that watching it on stream isn’t going to be the same experience as playing it yourself. One game like that is Slay the Princess, which features an in-depth branching narrative that can be very different based on what choices the player makes. To that end, the developers of Slay the Princess have taken a surprising stance by saying that players should pirate the game instead of watching someone’s stream if that’s their only option.
The announcement came from a tweet posted by developer Black Tabby Games. They said, “Since a lot of new folks are discovering Slay the Princess: The game is at its best if your first experience is playing it yourself instead of watching someone else’s play-through (And if [money] is an issue, pirate it and buy a copy later when you have money if you liked it!)”ย
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Again, that’s a somewhat surprising take from a developer, especially an indie dev with an under-the-radar hit. However, the last bit is important. If you have a good time with the game, looping back around to pay for it when you have the means to do so is a great way to support the team.ย
In a follow-up tweet, Black Tabby Games explained why they’ve taken this stance, saying “There’s tons of reactivity baked into the game: while a single playthrough will take ~3 hours, there’s ~16 hours of story to find. You can only play for the first time once, and the experience won’t be the same if you’re looking through the lens of someone else’s choices.”ย
It’s not so much that you can’t have fun watching someone else play it, but all of the choices make each playthrough feel unique. If you just watch someone else, you’ll miss out on the chance to play through those choices on your own. Plus, Slay the Princess is a relatively short game, so you can work through a playthrough quickly, making it an easy game to pick up and run through in an afternoon.
What is Slay the Princess?
As mentioned, Slay the Princess puts a heavy emphasis on player choice. The game from Black Tabby Games is described as “a choice-driven psychological horror visual novel/dating sim with dramatic branching, light RPG elements, and hand-penciled art.” You play as a character who finds a princess in a cabin. You then have the choice to slay her or let her live. That choice, and all of the ones you make after that, will greatly impact the story you experience, so you’ll want to make sure you make the right decision.
