The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian news & patch notes

We continue to improve the game and carefully review all of your feedback and bug reports. Today we've released our second update, which fixes several story inconsistencies and includes additional technical improvements.

Changelog

Today we're releasing our first game update, addressing the most frequently reported issues along with a number of additional improvements.

Patch Notes:

1. Great news for many players! The game now supports Linux. Fixed several Linux-related launch and stability issues, with improved compatibility for SteamOS and Steam Deck. If you encounter any technical issues, please let us know, including your operating system and system specifications.

2. Reduced the installed game size and optimized video memory usage for a smoother gameplay experience.

3. Enhanced the save system stability to prevent rare issues with loading and chapter rollbacks.

4. The following balance changes have been made:

• A new condition has been added to one of the Locks of Fate in the "A Province in Pieces" scene, unlocking one of the choices if the player does not have the Creed in Chapter 5.

• Choosing "Banish Monrogue from the palace" in the "A Matron’s Duty" scene now grants the "Tempest Legacy" resource.

5. Fixed issues with certain illustrations.

6. Numerous localization improvements have been made.

We're not stopping here and will continue improving the game.

Despite hundreds of hours of testing, some issues only become apparent once thousands of players experience the game on a wide variety of hardware and system configurations.

Our support team investigates every bug report, helps players whenever possible, and forwards issues to the development team. Some problems can be fixed quickly, as in this update, while others are more complex and require additional time.

If you encounter a technical issue, bug, or any other problem in the game, please let us know in the comments. Even better, join our Discord community, where our administrator can contact you directly and gather any additional information if needed. 

Additionally, we would appreciate it if you report any issues with illustrations, text errors, translation issues, or typos.

Thank you all for your support, feedback, and willingness to help us improve the game. We're incredibly happy to see that, despite a few launch-day rough edges, this old world and its new story are already finding a place in players' hearts. 💚

We're excited to announce that The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante is now officially available on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2!

You can now experience Brante's story, shape his destiny through difficult choices, and journey across the Blessed Arknian Empire on Nintendo Switch consoles. Enjoy the complete PC experience at home or on the go.

If you've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to discover Brante's story, or if you'd like to experience it again in a portable format, now is the time!

https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/the-life-and-suffering-of-sir-brante-switch/

We're grateful to everyone who has supported the game over the years. Thanks to you, Brante's story continues to reach new players and new platforms 💚

Enjoy the game!

The day we've all been waiting for has finally arrived.

🎉 The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian is now officially available on Steam! 🎉

This is a truly special moment for our entire team. For several years, we've been working on this story, striving to create not just a sequel set in the world of The Life and Suffering, but a new standalone drama where every choice has consequences, and where power can become just as great a burden as powerlessness.

If you've already played the demo, we have good news for you—you can continue your journey from your demo save without having to start over.

We want to thank everyone who has stuck with us throughout this journey: whether you’ve supported the game, shared your feedback, participated in playtests, told your friends about the project, or if you’ve just been waiting for this day alongside us.

We sincerely hope Prince Jerian's story stays with you long after the credits roll.

DLCs Are Now Available!

Alongside the game's release, we've also launched three DLCs that are sure to delight fans of The Life and Suffering series, as well as anyone who wants to dive deeper into the game's lore or stay immersed in its atmosphere long after finishing the story.

Original Soundtrack

The soundtrack was composed exclusively for the game by Fyodor Trubin (The Void Brother), the composer behind the music of The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante.

It features 35 original compositions inspired by the classical musical traditions of the 18th and 19th centuries. Combining orchestral arrangements, expressive piano performances, and a rich palette of string instruments, the soundtrack doesn't merely accompany the story—it is an integral part of it. Many tracks also feature recordings of live instruments, including the violin, morin khuur, jaw harp, and others, giving every composition its own unique character and sound.

Official Artbook

The official artbook takes the form of the Blue Book of the Tempests —an extensive developer codex in PDF format dedicated to the world of The Life and Suffering, its history, and the game's development.

Inside, you'll find 120 beautifully designed pages filled with original texts, illustrations, lore, developer notes, behind-the-scenes commentary, and additional materials, many of which have never been published before and never appear in the game itself. The DLC also includes 12 exclusive wallpapers for both desktop and mobile devices.

If you'd like to learn more about the game's universe or take a look behind the scenes of its creation, this developer codex is the perfect companion to your journey through our heroes’ stories.

Digital World Map

This DLC includes a detailed PDF map of the world, featuring the major cities and provinces of the Blessed Arknian Empire. Every location is accompanied by lore notes, historical background, and fascinating details that reveal familiar events from a new perspective while showcasing the true scale of the world shared by Sir Brante and Prince Jerian.

Supporter Edition — The Best Value

If you're interested in the game's DLCs, we highly recommend the Supporter Edition bundle.

It includes:

• Base game: The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian

• Original Soundtrack

• Official Artbook & Wallpapers

• Digital World Map

The base game and each DLC are currently available with launch discounts, and the bundle itself provides an additional discount, making this the best time to purchase the complete collection.

Partner Bundles

We've also prepared several partner bundles for the game's release.

If you already own one of the featured games in your Steam library, you'll be able to purchase The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian at an even better price. And if these titles are new to you, this is a great opportunity to discover several outstanding narrative-driven games.

MiSide × Prince Jerian Bundle

If you enjoy stories where something far more unsettling lurks beneath an ordinary reality, be sure to check out MiSide.

This psychological horror game features an unconventional narrative that gradually transforms from a cozy everyday experience into a true nightmare. As you uncover the secrets of its mysterious virtual world, you'll slowly begin to understand what's really happening.

Choice and Misery Bundle

Fans of difficult moral choices are sure to appreciate Slay the Princess.

Built around meaningful decisions, this unique psychological visual novel is a game where nearly every choice dramatically changes the course of the story. Look forward to branching narratives, unexpected consequences, and philosophical dilemmas with no single correct answer.

Difficult Decisions Bundle

Another excellent choice for players who enjoy challenging decisions is Sultan's Game.

Political intrigue, struggles for influence, dangerous alliances, court conspiracies, and the constant need to choose between duty, ambition, and conscience ensure that every playthrough unfolds differently.

Stories Worth Living Bundle

Another project that’s very close to our hearts is Dynopunk.

This warm and atmospheric narrative adventure blends a branching visual novel with a repair shop simulator, cozy cyberpunk aesthetics, and an alternative universe inhabited by intelligent dinosaurs. If you'd like to follow up Prince Jerian's political drama with another heartfelt story full of memorable characters, Dynopunk is well worth your attention.

Thank you once again for supporting us throughout the years 💚

We hope you enjoy your journey through the history of the Blessed Arknian Empire!

If you'd like to discuss the game with fellow players, share your impressions, or talk about the choices you've made, or if you encounter any technical issues or have questions about the game, we'd love to see you in our Discord community.

Our team and community members are always happy to help, answer questions, provide support, and simply chat about the world of The Life and Suffering.

The official launch day is Monday, July 20!

Check the map to find the exact release time in your region.

The Great Arknian Empire is waiting for you. We look forward to seeing you begin Prince Jerian's story and shape his fate through the choices you make.

See you on launch day!

For a limited time, The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante is free to keep on Steam!

Add the game to your Steam library before July 23, and it will remain yours forever.

Step into the harsh world of the Blessed Arknian Empire and experience the life of Sir Brante, a man born into a rigid society where every choice matters and every decision carries consequences. Shape your destiny through years of struggle, ambition, sacrifice, and suffering in this narrative RPG, where your actions determine not only your own fate but also the fate of those around you.

Whether you've been curious about the game for a long time or have only recently discovered it, now is the perfect time to begin your journey.

Once you've added the game to your library, it will remain yours forever—even after the promotion ends. Don't miss this chance to experience this dark and immersive story completely free.

Claim your copy before July 23 and keep it forever.

Welcome to the Blessed Arknian Empire. May your choices shape your destiny.

Don't forget: The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian launches on July 20!

Wishlist the game now so you don't miss the release and can take advantage of the launch discount.

This is not a sequel or a spin-off, but a completely new story with a new protagonist. Instead of following the life of an ordinary man struggling against the system, you will take on the role of Prince Jerian, heir to the throne of the Blessed Arknian Empire. From the very top of society, you will face the burden of responsibility, the weight of expectations, and the difficult compromises demanded by politics, tradition, and duty. It is a story that explores the other side of this world— and asks whether those who hold power are ever truly free to shape their own destiny.

We would also like to remind you that we have an active and welcoming Discord community where players discuss the games, share theories, debate choices and endings, and dive deep into the world and its lore. Join the conversation—you'll always find lively discussions and fellow players eager to share their perspectives

Fixes and Changes:

• Under certain conditions, some players encountered a soft lock in the “Fracture” event. We changed the required stat value for one of the locks so that it could be opened successfully.

• An additional condition is now displayed in the tooltip for the “Pater Familias” event.

• Fixed an issue causing save timestamps to be displayed incorrectly.

• Added support for changing the game language directly through Steam's game properties.

• Various translation corrections and typo fixes have been made across multiple localizations.

Steam Next Fest has started, and we are cracking open the doors to the world of the Blessed Arknian Empire!

🎉 The demo version of The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian is already available for everyone!

The demo includes the first two chapters of the game, so even if you took part in the playtest before, a lot of new content awaits you! Start writing your story right now and make decisions that will change not only your destiny as a future ruler, but will also impact the future of the entire Empire. Will you be able to lead it to prosperity and what price will you pay for it? Find out the answer in the full version of the game!

Release date

And now, the most important and long-awaited news.

🎉 The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian will be released on Steam as early as July 20th! 🎉

You, Prince Jerian, are destined to rule a great Empire and face trials and choices that are impossible to prepare for in advance. Power will open up huge opportunities for you, but will require equally serious sacrifices. What mark will you leave on history? What kind of ruler will you become? And what price will you be willing to pay for your ideals?

If you liked the demo version, don't forget to add the game to your wishlist so you don't miss its release!

Game features

📖 Feel like the ruler of the Empire

Get a closer look at the lives of those who, by the will of the Gods, are destined to rule a vast state, and learn about the price every ruler must pay for the prosperity of the Empire. Will you be able to preserve your state and not lose yourself in the process? 

📖 Make numerous decisions

Your decisions change the world. The Empire is going through difficult times: the estates are at odds with each other, the nobles protect the old order, the people demand change, and the church is splitting from within. And only you will determine the future for everyone. But remember: here, every choice has consequences.

📖 Create your own story

From your earliest years, you will influence the life of the prince. His character and future destiny depend on what personal qualities and skills he acquires, and whom among his inner circle he trusts. What kind of ruler he becomes is up to you to choose!

🎦 Check out our new trailer below!

As always, we remind you that we have an active Discord community where you can find out the latest news, share your impressions of the demo, and discuss the game with other community members.

Thank you for staying with us and supporting the project. We sincerely appreciate your involvement and hope that the story of Prince Jerian will give you many vivid emotions and memorable moments. 💚

📅 We are excited to announce that the demo for The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian will be available to all players on June 15 as part of Steam Next Fest!

Very soon, you will be able to experience Prince Jerian’s story for the first time, make your first decisions, and discover what trials await the heir to the Blessed Arknian Empire. The demo will include the first two chapters of the game.

🎦 For Content Creators

If you create gaming content and would like to try the demo before everyone else or prepare your video in advance, we are ready to consider providing you with an early access key for the demo.

To apply, please send an email to:

[email protected]

In your email, make sure to include a link to your channel, page, or platform where you publish your content.

Please note: we review all applications manually. To confirm that you are indeed the owner of the specified channel, it must list a contact email address that matches the one you are sending your application from.

Unfortunately, we will not be able to consider applications if we cannot verify channel ownership.

To receive a key, your channel must also have an active audience. We consider applications from creators whose videos average at least 500 views, or from streamers with an average audience of at least 50 concurrent viewers.

We reserve the right to refuse a key without giving reasons, but we will try to provide access to all interested content creators who meet the specified requirements.

Please also note that key requests are accepted exclusively via email. Messages on social media, Discord, or other platforms will not be considered.

This offer is only valid until the official launch of the demo. After the release, the demo will become publicly available to all players, and demo early access will no longer be necessary.

Thank you all for your interest in our game! 💚 

Our friends are also running a Kickstarter campaign right now for their new game, Silicone Heart. We especially want to highlight the care and creativity they brought to the campaign launch: they created a large mechanical heart that gradually fills with balls as funding progresses. 1 ball = $1. You can see how it works in this livestream: If the game looks interesting to you, please consider supporting the campaign. There is not much time left until it ends! You can also add the game to your Steam wishlist or simply tell others about it. For small teams, every bit of support truly matters. 💚

We’ve finally received the final results of our Kickstarter campaign, and we want to once again sincerely thank each and every one of you for your support! 💚

We now have the complete list of backers, which means we’ll soon begin preparing and distributing rewards. To ensure everything is delivered correctly, we’ll need some additional information from you depending on your reward tier.

All further updates regarding reward distribution will be shared via the private Kickstarter feed, which is accessible to all backers. Please keep an eye on Kickstarter and don’t miss important updates—a post with a survey form is already available there.

In The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante, you encountered women in many forms: fragile and unbreakable, wise and fierce. They were not merely present beside the protagonist—they challenged him, made fateful decisions, and paid the price for them. They were a force, not a backdrop.

Octavia Milanidas is the brilliance and mystery of high society, her fate hanging in the balance between power and the loss of her humanity. Gloria is a rebel and a poet, risking her inner fire to conform to society’s demands. Anne Steiner is the living embodiment of the people’s will, a woman whose iron resolve can set a city ablaze and defy the Inquisition. A special place belongs to Sophia, whose journey from victim to the greatest threat to the Empire makes her more than just an antagonist; she is a mirror in which Brante sees a radical alternative to his own fate—and his most painful romantic choice. Each of these women is a universe unto herself, with her own truth, tragedy, and strength.

And what awaits us in the new story of The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian? Will women once again be at the center of new intrigues and daring narrative twists?

Let’s take a look inside our narrative laboratory. We’ll discuss the female characters in our games, what inspires us, and how we break clichés to create truly compelling stories about women for you.

Love as the Engine of the Story

When we began working on The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian, we asked ourselves a key question: what truly changes a person? In the context of our game, the answer is both simple and complex — a deep emotional connection.

In Jerian’s story, a woman is not merely a decoration of the world, a reward for progression, or a plot device. She is a force that transforms our hero. We intentionally made the romantic interest one of the main levers of his inner transformation. Through her — and through their relationship — the prince changes himself. The deeper and more sincere the bond, the stronger its impact on him. It is through a woman that he can find a true emotional companion, and this closeness influences him more than almost anything else in the game. Perhaps only a woman can save him from madness.

Choosing a companion in The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian is a choice of character, fate, and, in a sense, political direction. That’s why it was important for us to create several multifaceted female personalities, each embodying a unique path.

Three Archetypes That Shape the World

To make the choice meaningful, we defined three archetypes around which female characters in Jerian are built:

• The Mother — An archetype that provides care, protection, and acceptance. She embodies the connection to family, tradition, and unconditional support.

• The Friend and Rival — An equal partner with whom the hero can share both struggles and triumphs. Her respect must be earned, and her temperament always challenges the protagonist.

• The Mystery — A guide beyond the ordinary world: she is not just enigmatic, she connects the hero to something greater, something unknowable, transforming his perception of the world itself.

These archetypes do not exist in isolation; they will unfold and become more complex as you get to know them.

Lessons from Brante: How Characters Were Born

Of course, we can’t ignore our previous work. In The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante, female characters often emerged from specific storylines and historical allusions. We observed how differently players reacted to them, which became invaluable experience.

Sophia embodies uncompromising rebellion rooted in personal tragedy. Lydia, the protagonist’s mother, represents suffering that evokes both empathy and the desire to protect. Gloria fights for herself and the right to her own path. Interestingly, Gloria often evokes the most mixed reactions from players — both irritation and admiration. This, for us, is a sign of a living, authentic character.

Looking back at our heroines, we want to highlight Octavia Milanidas. Why include a character with whom the protagonist “can’t succeed”? The answer is simple: we don’t want the world to always bend to the hero. Octavia is a self-contained person with her own plans, motives, and desires. She is the “unattainable fruit,” a reminder that the world has its own laws and depth, not always accessible to the player. Her mystery exists independently, and this makes the world feel alive. This respect for the autonomy of the world and its inhabitants is something we continue to uphold.

From Trauma to Strength: Evolving Approaches

Does a woman’s strength always arise from suffering? In Brante, we often relied on culturally familiar stories — “woman in distress,” “special path born of trauma.” But we aim to go beyond stereotypes, exploring new dimensions of archetypal romantic stories.

In our new game, these archetypes remain, but thanks to the unique path of our hero and the specifics of the universe, we seek fresh interpretations. In Jerian, heroines may draw strength not from trauma, but from responsibility, wisdom, inner dignity, or simply harmony with the world.

New Challenges: From Rebellion to Responsibility

The world of Prince Jerian is one of high politics and complex social networks. Whereas Brante’s heroines often fought a patriarchal society, many women in the new game are part of the system. They bear responsibility for the established order, their families, and their social standing. Their struggles — to preserve or transform this order from within — can aid Jerian or become a heavy burden for him.

Moreover, for the heir to the throne, marriage and lineage are not personal matters but state concerns. As such, a significant portion of the story revolves around his future marriage — and its outcome will impact the fate of the entire Empire.

What’s Next?

We won’t reveal everything, but you can expect encounters with new female archetypes as well as some familiar characters from Brante’s world.

It is important to us that each female character is not just a function but a personality with her own story, motives, and right to her own path. We hope you’ll appreciate this approach.

Share in the comments which heroines from The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante left the strongest impression on you and whom you would most like to see in the new game.

The playtest of The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian has come to an end, and we want to summarize this important stage of development. For us, it was not just a test, but an additional opportunity to see the game through your eyes, receive feedback, and make the project even better.

Over the entire playtest period, 27,424 people gained access to the game, and 4,892 players invited their friends. Out of these, 18,098 people logged in and tried the game—an incredible result that we could only dream of, and for which we are deeply grateful to you.

The median time spent in the game was 1 hour 15 minutes.

The playtest lasted a total of 65 days:

• 20 days in a closed format (from February 11 to March 2), with gradual access distribution to randomly selected participants

• 45 days fully open to everyone who wanted to join (from March 3 to April 16)

During this time, we received 2,385 direct feedback submissions through the feedback form. And this does not include the huge amount of discussions on social media, comments, private messages, and questions—all of which cannot be precisely counted, but which we carefully read and take into account.

Every piece of feedback, every discussion, and even criticism helps us better understand the game and make it stronger. Thanks to you, we have already identified many areas for improvement and continue to actively work on enhancements.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the playtest, shared their thoughts, and supported us. Your engagement is a huge motivation for us to keep moving forward.

We hope the final version of the game will meet your expectations 💚

Hooray! Our Kickstarter campaign has reached its goal, and it’s all thanks to you!

It has been a 30-day journey, and throughout this time we watched with bated breath as the counter moved closer to the long-awaited milestone. More than 1,000 backers believed in our idea and supported its development. Thousands of people shared the news and spread the word about the campaign across the world. We received so many kind messages that gave us the strength to keep moving forward.

This is an incredible show of support, and we are truly thrilled that our project has resonated so deeply with so many people.

We thank everyone who became part of this journey. Now it is our responsibility and our main goal to bring everything we’ve planned to life and release the game, delivering the best and most memorable experience possible. We sincerely hope it will live up to your expectations.

With the campaign now complete, the playtest has also come to an end, and access to the trial version is now closed. Thank you to everyone who had the chance to play! We would also like to extend special thanks to those who completed our survey or shared feedback on social media. We read every message with great care!

In the near future, we will begin contacting backers regarding rewards and the next steps. Please be sure to check your incoming messages carefully and confirm they come only from official sources to avoid potential scams.

We will share further updates soon. Once again, thank you for your support and trust in the project! 💚 The story of Prince Jerian is being written by your hands, and a great achievement lies ahead of us all.

Today, we would like to share our development progress and give you a glimpse of the current scope of work. Some time ago, we mentioned that we were already working on the final chapter and, later, on the endings and epilogues. Now, we think it is time to lift the curtain a little and show the true scale of the game while avoiding major spoilers.

Right now, we are facing an incredibly large task of testing all this content. We did our best to account for every possible event already at the stage of designing the endings, and we filtered out part of the issues during the build process. Now all that remains is to polish everything through testing.

To help you imagine the kind of hell the poor testers will have to go through, let us share a few numbers and facts from the internal development documents.

The image below shows the structure of the game’s endings. There are at least 17 of them in our game. These are not just different outcomes for individual characters, but fundamentally different conclusions for both Jerian’s story and the Empire, with the characters’ fates and the state of the game world forming only part of each ending.

If the converging lines on the diagram look worrying, do not be alarmed. This is simply a technical process used to conclude the game after any of the endings is reached. Of course, the game does not boil down to one shared final scene. 🙂

In the next image, you will see a screenshot from an internal table used by our narrative game designers, where they work with the scene texts and the localization of those texts.

The screenshot lists the endings and epilogues. We have partially hidden the names to avoid obvious spoilers. Under the “plus” signs, numerous variations are grouped together, branching out into even more possible outcomes. For example, the scene “Epi.ImportantCharacters.010” concerns 6 characters, and the fate of each of them can unfold in at least 4 different ways. As a result, this single epilogue scene alone has more than 25 possible variations.

To give you a better sense of what awaits the player closer to the game’s climax, we would also like to show the structure of Chapter Five. Of the 117 scenes that may be included in it, only 10 are mandatory. The player will see those no matter what once they reach this chapter. Depending on the chosen path and the decisions made, the remaining scenes may either appear or remain inaccessible.

At the same time, a full playthrough that leads to a proper ending does not necessarily include Chapter Five at all. The player may reach an ending earlier. And that is not even counting the defeat scenarios, which are also built into the game.

It is also worth mentioning the Conditional Triggers shown in the screenshot. These are special events that are not tied to any specific moment in the game. They can trigger at any time, provided certain conditions are met: choices made, stats reached, and other requirements.

So yes, the number of possible outcomes is truly enormous, and every player will have a unique path and experience.

Testing all possible branching paths is an extremely challenging task. For example, during one complete playthrough, an average player will be able to see no more than 8% of the texts related to the endings alone. In most cases, this percentage is even lower. Altogether, the game contains around 526,000 words in English, and that number may still grow by the time the game is released.

Based on all of the above, you can imagine the scale and length of testing required for a project of this size.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog! We would also like to give special thanks to everyone who is eagerly waiting for our game. We truly hope to live up to your expectations at release! 💚

Don’t forget to join our active Discord community to stay up to date with the latest news, take part in lively discussions, and stay in touch with us.

Our Kickstarter campaign is coming to an end soon. Just one day remains, and once it ends, access to the playtest version of the game will be closed as well.

We often hear the question: if the main goal has already been achieved and the next stretch goal is still far away, does it mean that further support for the project is no longer as important? And what will the intermediate funds be used for? We would like to address these important questions.

• The main goal is a foundation, not a final point.

  Our main goal was designed to establish a solid base for the game: to refine many details, improve core mechanics, add depth, and make the project as cohesive and high-quality as possible. However, everything we receive beyond this level allows us to go even further: to dedicate more time to each element, work out nuances more deeply, expand the team, or bring in additional specialists to elevate the game to an even higher level of quality.

• Every contribution directly impacts the game’s development.

  Our philosophy remains unchanged: everything we receive goes toward improving the project. This includes the team’s work, access to technologies and assets, and hiring external specialists who help strengthen specific aspects of development. The more support we receive, the more opportunities we have to make the game deeper, richer, and more polished.

• We are in the decisive phase of the campaign.

  Every campaign is most active at the beginning and at the very end, and we are now approaching the final stage. This is exactly when every voice of support matters: it can become part of the overall momentum and bring us closer to reaching additional goals.

• Every contribution matters.

  We especially want to emphasize that even small contributions make a difference. They are what helped us reach the main goal in the first place. Do not underestimate your support—every contribution adds up and has a real impact on the project’s development.

• Rewards and exclusives.

  And of course, backing the project is not only about supporting development, but also about the opportunity to receive unique rewards and content that will remain exclusive to campaign backers.

A huge thank you to everyone for your support, trust, comments, and involvement in the project! We are on the final stretch, and we still have a chance to make the game even better if we keep moving forward together.

Thank you for being with us 💚

Our Kickstarter campaign has reached its goal! That means it has been successfully funded, and that is all thanks to you. More than 1,000 backers supported the game, and many of you helped spread the word. We are deeply grateful to each and every one of you—none of this would have been possible without your support 💚

But the campaign is not over yet! Your support still matters just as much: every dollar beyond our goal will go toward developing, improving, and expanding the game. You also still have a little time left to secure exclusive rewards, some of which are available only during the Kickstarter campaign.

Now our main task is to make the game even better, deeper, and more exciting, and that is only possible because of you. Once the campaign wraps up, we will share the final news and begin sending out information about the rewards you selected. Thank you for being with us, and stay tuned!

Time is running out!

If you’ve been putting off joining the campaign, now is the moment to come back and take that step. Many exclusive rewards will never be available anywhere else. This is a rare chance to get unique items available only to backers of this campaign—don’t miss it.

We see real chances of success and truly believe the campaign will reach its goal. The support we’ve already received inspires us and gives us the strength to keep moving forward. Thank you to everyone who’s already with us 💚

On our side, we’re doing everything we can: introducing the game to new audiences, expanding our reach, sharing updates, and promoting the campaign. But now more than ever, we need your help.

Every contribution matters—even $1 makes a difference. And if you’re unable to support financially or have already done so, you can still help: sharing the campaign, telling your friends, mentioning it on social media, or simply offering words of support all go a long way.

We’re approaching the most important stage of the campaign. Right now, there’s a chance to gain additional visibility on the platform and attract new backers. This is when every contribution becomes especially valuable. Don’t wait until the last day—supporting now has a much greater impact.

And once again, a reminder: some rewards are exclusive to this campaign. Once it ends, they will be gone forever. If you've been thinking about getting them, now's the time to act!

The finish line is near. Let’s make this final push together!

The time has come to explore the final part of the differences between our games: the key gameplay distinctions.

The Tempest Legacy

We know how frustrating it was for many players when they lacked just a single point in a parameter needed to make a choice—the kind of choice that could determine the fate of their character. We did this intentionally: it was important for Sir Brante to feel the limits of his abilities and face defeats.

With Prince Jerian, the story is different. The power granted to him by birth and inherited from his ancestors allows him to solve almost any problem and achieve his goals in the moment. He can rely not only on his own skills, knowledge, and abilities, but also on his heritage.

Players will therefore have more opportunities to overcome restrictions and barriers in specific scenarios. But the question remains: how to use ancestral power wisely? And what will it demand in exchange for the strength it provides?

Character Model

Sir Brante had no inner model—his traits, qualities, and beliefs were entirely shaped by the player. This allowed him to be flexible, inconsistent, and free to choose what seemed right in the moment.

Prince Jerian, however, does not have such freedom. In a sense, he is one with his state and dependent on it. His inclinations and character development will be tracked through specific parameters, which will open some paths and close others. Players must consider not only the world around the hero, but also the hero himself.

These limitations are not insurmountable. Jerian can act against his own nature to do what he deems important and right. But acting against himself comes at a cost: his reasoning, integrity, and sense of self.

Where the Power Lies

For Sir Brante, the answer was simple: the higher his stats, the wealthier and more prestigious his family, the more options he had.

For Prince Jerian, it’s much more complex. Yes, there are attributes that clearly help him live and achieve his goals: personal skills, ancestral legacy, the power of House Tempest.

But much else in the life of a ruler is less obvious: which social estate should be strengthened, and which weakened? How to avoid becoming a hostage of one’s own favorites? To what extent should technological progress be encouraged, and when would change threaten the foundation of society itself? Which courtiers should be cultivated as allies or friends, and whose interests can be ignored?

A ruler’s power lies in the strength of his allies, and in that lies his weakness. Finding and preserving this power at the crucial moment is perhaps the most important question for Jerian as a politician.

Strategic Gameplay

Sir Brante’s political life was relatively simple: he knew what he wanted whether in terms of goals and conscience, or in terms of provincial welfare and work success. His limited set of influence options made this manageable.

For Prince Jerian, we’ve created a far more complex political system. Many parameters interact with one another, and goals can be achieved through multiple strategies, reflecting the state of different societal forces rather than a single target attribute. Jerian always has choices and multiple strategies to reach his aims.

We hope players will not only make choices in individual scenes, but also understand how, why, and where their decisions reshape the Empire. And that they will be ready for both the pleasant and unpleasant consequences of their actions.

Focused Narrative

Sir Brante, over time, explored the world, sought his path, built his destiny, and chose his duty. He could live almost three different lives and see the Empire through very different eyes.

Prince Jerian does not have this privilege. From the start, he has a Name, a Duty, and a Lot—the lot of a ruler. We focus on this lot and aim to explore it deeply, giving the hero opportunities to find nuances, discover unusual solutions to seemingly insoluble problems, and secure a future for his country that he sincerely believes in.

Or he might find a path beyond the boundaries defined by his birth or the laws of this world.

Jerian cannot live the multiple lives that Sir Brante did, but his life will always be rich in nuance, shades, and multiple possible endings to his unique story.

Together, we’ve explored the many layers of comparison between The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian and The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante. We hope you enjoyed this journey!

Previous publication

We’d also like to remind you that our Kickstarter campaign is currently live. If you haven’t checked it out yet, we’d love to invite you to take a look!

In previous post, we explored the differences between The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian and The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante in terms of their themes. If you’ve missed them, be sure to check them out, you might find something new or interesting! Now, let’s move on to the differences in stories and narratives.

Province vs. Capital

Sir Brante could only catch a fleeting glimpse of the world of the true imperial elite. Prince Jerian, on the other hand, stands at its very center.

We will dive deep into the courtly life of the capital: its customs, rules, and the realities of high society. We will explore the problems and conflicts that matter to the elite, rather than to ordinary people struggling for small pieces of happiness.

Human vs. Arknian

Sir Brante was human and knew very little about how the Arknian world truly functioned. Jerian, however, will be deeply immersed in the history of his lineage and of the Arknian people.

He will come to understand their culture, values, and the contradictions that divide the nation. As a result, even familiar events will appear in a new light. Stepping into Jerian’s role and learning what every Tempest knows, you may find yourself making decisions that would have been unthinkable for Sir Brante.

Seeker vs. Knower

We know that for many players, the metaphysical foundations of our world were among the most intriguing aspects of the first game’s narrative.

What comes first—Law, Love, or Will? Was Patriarch Fotis right, or did Saint Isatius uncover the truth by establishing the Order of Lots? These and many other questions about the nature of the world and its gods concerned both Sir Brante, and you.

In the new game, we couldn’t simply leave players at the same level of knowledge and answers. That’s why we place even greater emphasis on religious and cosmological themes, revealing many of the mysteries at the foundation of the world of the Twins and the Empire.

After all, Prince Jerian is not just an Arknian. He is the Primate, a mediator between the earthly world and the Peak. He will not only learn a great deal, but also make decisions that will determine the fate of the Church, the fate of millions of humans and Arknians, and the fate of his own soul.

High Politics

Sir Brante was no stranger to politics and had some influence over what happened in Anizotte and Magra.

But for Prince Jerian, high imperial politics is not just a “job”—it is the essence of his life. He is involved in dozens of issues: from treasury shortages and the satisfaction of social estates to the balance between secular and church law, tradition and progressive ideas.

Most importantly, Jerian does not merely take part in historical processes by choosing a side, he shapes them. He defines the contours of the future and the outlines of conflicts yet to come.

If Sir Brante was a stonemason, whose will determined the placement of a single brick in the wall of the state, then Prince Jerian can rightfully be called an architect.

Not an Adventure Novel

Sir Brante was a man who forged himself: choosing his path, risking his life, and facing execution for his beliefs. His fate was filled with the kind of adventures we associate with classic adventure novels.

Prince Jerian, however, cannot live such a life due to his status and role, nor face the same kinds of challenges. His most important battles take place at the council table, in palace corridors, in the courtroom, and within the Lesser Quorum. Yet these struggles are no less intense, the choices no less difficult, and the consequences no less tragic.

The battlefields of our heroes may differ, but the fight itself—a struggle for life and death—remains the same.

So, we’ve now explored two major areas of differences. Ahead lies the final and no less important one: the key differences in gameplay.

Previous publication

We’d also like to remind you that our Kickstarter campaign is currently live. If you haven’t checked it out yet, we’d love to invite you to take a look!

We’ve already written and talked a lot about what to expect from the new game, so let’s take a closer look and answer the main question: how will The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian differ from The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante?

This is quite an interesting topic, because we consciously chose to preserve some elements from our first game, while deliberately changing others, moving forward and developing the ideas we discovered in the original project. That’s exactly what we’d like to discuss today.

We will divide our answer into three parts: differences in themes, differences in key stories and narratives, and differences in gameplay structure. We’ll do our best to avoid spoilers and focus not on specific plot points, but on the systemic decisions that set our second game apart from the first.

All the specific twists and turns of Prince Jerian’s life will remain undisclosed, and you’ll be able to experience them for yourself when the full game is released.

So, let’s begin!

The Pursuit of Greatness vs. The Search for Meaning

The central theme of Sir Brante’s life, no matter which path he followed, was the struggle for the ability to influence his own fate on the scale of the country, his family, and his personal life.

A boy from a remote province could rise to become a shaper of destinies, a figure on par with the wheel of history itself. But whatever fate Brante chose, his trajectory always moved from powerlessness to power, from obscurity to fame, from insignificance to authority. The only question was the price he would pay, and which side he would take.

Jerian will live a very different life. He does not need to fight for power or influence. Yet the full weight of the Empire rests on his shoulders. This vast entity, this Leviathan, can crush him, consume him, erase his identity, and reduce his “self” to a faceless bureaucratic function.

That is why the challenge Jerian faces is entirely different: he is not fighting for power—he is fighting to preserve himself and to find his own meaning in life.

The Powerlessness of the Powerful

Prince Jerian stands at the very heart of imperial politics. He is a Tempest and the future heir to the throne. The fate of the entire world depends on which faction he chooses to support. And, of course, one might expect such a hero to be nearly omnipotent.

While Sir Brante was constantly forced to compromise, obey those above him, and struggle for scraps of influence, the prince clearly occupies a very different position. Here, he is the power.

But our goal was to uncover weakness, vulnerability, and powerlessness in this new protagonist. Yes, in the moment, Jerian can overcome almost any challenge and obtain what he desires. But what will the consequences be?

And that very question binds his hands. Great power brings great responsibility. The power concentrated in the Throne spreads through a thousand threads—across officials and courtiers, noble lords and unseen agents—turning the ruler into a hostage of the system, the state, religion, and culture.

Will Prince Jerian be able to change anything truly important and to use his power while bound by these threads? This question lies at the core of our new game.

The Two Bodies of the Ruler

No matter how weak or powerless Sir Brante might have been, inwardly he was always free. He could choose his faith, his beliefs, his values that he was willing to live and die for.

Prince Jerian is a different case. He is not just a man. From his very first breath, he is bound to the Blood Tide and to his Empire. He may shape his country and determine its future, but gradually, imperceptibly, the country and its legacy will shape him in return, molding his character and demanding that he conform to it.

Like any ruler, Jerian possesses “two bodies”: a physical one and a political one. He is inseparably linked to his state, his inner life echoes through the Empire, while the Empire itself seeks to shape him into its own image.

In this sense, Prince Jerian might even envy the inner freedom that Sir Brante possessed.

This concludes the discussion of thematic differences. In the next post, we will begin exploring the differences in stories and narrative.

We’d also like to remind you that our Kickstarter campaign is currently live. If you haven’t checked it out yet, we’d love to invite you to take a look!

We’ve prepared a new video exploring the five pillars that underpin the entire gameplay experience of The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian.

The Kickstarter campaign for The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian launched just three days ago, and we’ve already reached over 45% of our main goal! More than 450 people have supported us—an incredible start that inspires confidence in the project’s success.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported us so far. Your trust and contribution mean a great deal to the entire team. 🤍

If you missed the launch or have not had a chance to explore the campaign yet, you can already find all the key details on its page, including the main and stretch goals, the budget, and the list of rewards for backers. We have also published a developer video message and are doing our best to respond to all questions as quickly as possible.

Your support is especially important right now. At this early stage, every contribution makes a real difference, helping to promote the project and increasing our chances of reaching the goal. If you would like to take part, please do not wait until the last moment. If the campaign is not successful and the goal is not reached, you will lose nothing, because your payment will not be charged by the platform.

If you are unable or do not wish to support us financially, you can still help immensely by sharing the campaign with others. That is also a huge contribution to the game, and we are truly grateful for it.

To see whether the game is right for you, we recommend trying the playtest. It is currently open to everyone, and access is granted automatically—just click the participation button. We are putting our hearts into this game, and now you can experience the quality and unique atmosphere of The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian for yourself. The playtest includes the entire first chapter, just a small part of the full game, which will feature many more choices, new possibilities, and expanded book sections.

Want to become part of this world? Join us, share the news, and stay tuned for updates. Together, we are creating something truly special!

We promised to keep you informed — and thе moment is finally here.

🎉 The Kickstarter campaign for The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian is officially live! 🎉

The full campaign page is now live and open to everyone, with in-depth project details, all support tiers, and rewards. We invite you to explore the campaign, dive into the details, and choose the type of support that feels right for you.

As part of the campaign, we’ve prepared a long-form video featuring the game’s creator, Fedor Slyusarchuk. In this video, Fedor personally talks about the world of The Life and Suffering, the ideas behind the new game and its philosophy, as well as why we decided to launch a Kickstarter campaign and what it will bring to the project. If you’d like to hear everything straight from the developer, make sure to watch the video — it contains many important and interesting insights.

📜 Your support would be greatly appreciated

We deliberately don’t want to focus on specific amounts. The campaign offers support options for any budget — from very modest tiers to more extensive ones — and every form of participation truly matters.

If you’re unable to support the project financially, you can still help us a great deal: share the campaign link, tell your friends about it, write a post, or simply mention the game where it feels appropriate. This kind of support is incredibly valuable and directly helps the project grow.

📜 Why supporting now matters

The campaign has a main goal as well as additional goals (Stretch Goals). Achieving them requires clearly defined funding. Kickstarter works on an all-or-nothing principle: within a limited time frame, the campaign must reach its main goal to be considered successful.

If the main goal is not reached, backers are not charged, and the developer receives no funding — meaning this planned scope of work cannot be implemented. If the campaign is successful, however, the project receives all the funds raised, allowing us to move forward with everything outlined in the campaign.

That’s why, if you’re able to, we would be deeply grateful for your support right now, at the start of the campaign. Early support helps the campaign gain visibility on Kickstarter, reach a wider audience, and significantly increases its chances of success. At the same time, if the campaign does not succeed, you won’t lose anything.

Beyond the main goal, the campaign also includes Stretch Goals, which represent substantial additional development and meaningful expansions to the game’s content. We are genuinely excited about these ideas and would be thrilled to bring each of them to life if the corresponding goals are reached.

At the same time, we want to emphasize an important point once again: The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian will be released no matter what. The game would exist even without Kickstarter, and we will bring it to a complete, fully realized release. However, the campaign allows us to implement new ideas, expand and deepen the project, and make the game richer, higher in quality, and more cohesive — the way we truly want it to be.

All rewards will be delivered after the successful completion of the campaign, as they become ready. We’ll stay in touch with every backer and will share all relevant details as soon as we have concrete updates — you won’t have to wait too long.

📜 Explore, watch, and choose

The campaign includes a lot of text, details, and explanations — and many of the key points are also shown and explained directly in the video. We recommend watching the video, reading the campaign description, and exploring the rewards and goals to get a full picture and choose the participation option that interests you most.

📜 We’re always open to conversation

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us on social media, Discord, or in the campaign comments. We’ll do our best to answer everything and would love to talk with you.

We thank everyone who has already supported us — and everyone who is just about to. We’re walking this path together 🤍

Join our Discord community and become a part of the project’s journey.

Last time, we spoke about the core principles that guided us during the development of the first game — principles we have carefully preserved in our second project.

As you already know, the new game takes place in the same world and at the same time as the events of The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante. Today, we’d like to talk about the key differences between the second game and the first — though, of course, not all of them.

The primary distinction lies in the mechanics of limitations that shape the hero’s path.

In The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante, our protagonist grows up, and his limitations are a natural part of maturation: lack of skills, fatigue, or the consequences of past decisions. It is a story of personal formation, in which a boy becomes a man, gains strength, and attempts to challenge the world and its laws.

In Prince Jerian, however, the hero possesses power and privilege by birthright, yet his limitations stem from social status and internal principles that are difficult to cross. If Brante is a story about growth and resistance to external circumstances, then Jerian is about the search for identity and the attempt to remain true both to one’s newly discovered self and to the system in which one was raised.

But the differences do not end there. The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian rests on three additional pillars:

• Immersion in the setting: We explore the world of the game more deeply, so that you can truly understand the roots of the conflicts unfolding before your eyes. This time, players will dive much deeper into the history of the world and come far closer to the summit of the Shining Pillar.

• The Arknian perspective: The new story is told through the lens of a character with a very different social status. Brante focused on people of the middle strata — those without the power to reshape the Empire on a global scale, yet capable of changing the lives around them. In Jerian, you will experience the perspective of high politics, ideological clashes, intrigue, and betrayal.

• The Leitmotif: In our games, it is important for us to find an emotional core and preserve it until the very end. This time, that core is “the powerlessness of the powerful.” We explore how those who possess authority and influence can nonetheless be bound by circumstances, obligations, their own decisions, and their inheritance. This theme will stand at the center of the new hero’s extraordinary life.

Leave your questions in our social media channels, in the dedicated threads, or send them via private messages — we’ll select the most interesting ones and do our best to answer them in upcoming posts!

To celebrate the launch of our public playtest, we’ve released a brand-new trailer — check it out!

If you haven’t joined the playtest yet, simply click the Playtest button — access is granted automatically and instantly.

We have important news that we hope will excite everyone who’s been eagerly waiting for the game!

With our upcoming Kickstarter campaign launching on March 17, we’ve decided to make the current playtest fully open. This means it is now available to everyone!

Access has already been granted, and you can jump in and try the game right away. If you haven’t requested access yet, simply submit your playtest request now and you’ll receive access automatically.

We warmly invite everyone to play and kindly ask you to share your feedback using the in-game form. Tell us what you enjoyed and what could be improved. Your impressions truly matter to us — we carefully read all feedback and take it into account.

The playtest includes the entire first chapter up to a key story moment. From that point onward in the full version, the gameplay becomes significantly more intense, with more frequent and impactful choices. And of course, the complete game is much larger in scope than the first chapter we’re offering you to experience now.

We’ve also created a dedicated channel in our Discord community for discussing the playtest and game content, so that story details won’t be accidentally spoiled for those who prefer to avoid them. Join the discussion!

We sincerely appreciate your participation and hope this introduction to our new project leaves you with strong and memorable impressions.

If you like what you see, don’t forget to wishlist the game so you won’t miss its full release. 🤍

Support the game you love!

📅 On March 17, we’re launching the Kickstarter campaign for The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian!

This is a major milestone for the project, and we can’t wait to take this next step together with you.

The Kickstarter campaign will allow us to fully unlock the game’s potential, further refine its core systems, and add exciting new content. Your support will directly help us make the game deeper, richer, and more polished in every aspect.

As soon as the campaign officially goes live, the page will feature a detailed description of the project. You’ll learn more about the gameplay, explore both core and stretch goals, and discover all the rewards we’ve prepared for our backers.

If you haven’t followed the project page yet, now is the perfect time to do so and make sure you don’t miss the launch!

We also have an active Discord community where you can stay up to date with the latest news and join the discussion. Come and be part of it!