The first week after the release of The Succession of Changing Kings has come to an end, and I would like to summarize the results, share some plans with you, and hear your thoughts on a few things.
About the numbers
Over the past week, Steam showed The Succession of Changing Kings more than 4.4 million times, and 121000 users visited the game’s page. That is a lot - far more than I expected even in my boldest fantasies. In this single week alone, the game was installed more than 3000 times on Steam, and total sales since Early Access have exceeded 11000 copies. The game also still has about 27000 wishlists (+6500 net during the week).
A little about me
I am 35 years old. I was born in Russia, but I have been living in northern Spain, in Asturias, for quite some time. I am not a professional developer, and this is my first game. My work has always involved a lot of writing: I taught at MGIMO at the Faculty of International Journalism (which I also graduated from), and I have also worked in marketing agencies.
I am almost as fond of chess as Father Lumiel. I play for a local city team. If you would like to play a game with me on chess.com, leave your nicknames in the comments.
About neural networks and what is “under the hood” of the game
I always wanted to make my own game. But before the emergence of generative models, it felt almost like a childhood dream of becoming an astronaut. Neural networks pushed me to the realization that it was time to make a game - either now or never. But not in the way some people imagine.
A neural network cannot make a game for you, no matter what anyone says. When I started working on The Succession of Changing Kings in 2024, neural networks could not even write Tetris. So when I read something like “the code in the game was also written by AI,” it gives me a rather strange mix of emotions. That is simply impossible, even today. And in 2024 even more so.
The foundation of the game is a balancing table like this:
The actual table is much larger, but this gives a general idea. It contains all the connections, probabilities, and conditions. In the tabs below there are localization files, buildings, characters available for hire, and so on. Each time, a parser pulls the data from this table directly into Unity.
The map in the game was created using the Inkarnate service. I have been a paid subscriber for about two years, and before starting development I even wrote to them to ask whether I was allowed to use the assets as a subscriber to create my own game. I do have that right. Inkarnate offers a huge number of different styles, so I definitely recommend taking a look at the service.
The Russian and English voice acting was performed by Sergey Mayskiy and Wolenard respectively.
The scenario and all the texts were written by me. I had to find some practical use for my journalism education, and this is what it turned into. I think Russian-speaking players who have played for at least three or four hours especially understand that the texts are written by a human, because the game contains a huge number of references to various cultural phenomena - music, literature, films, names - that are primarily familiar to people from the post-Soviet space. There are also many other references. There is even a special thread about them on the forum, though even a quarter of the Easter eggs have not been collected there yet.
I cannot say that I never tried to run texts through AI or consult it during the early stages of development. I did try. But Alesta would very quickly turn into Alesta I’Vinshel, and after that I basically swore off using it for writing altogether.
So how exactly did AI help me? As I mentioned earlier, only with the images for quests and events. But there are about 2000 such images and I simply would not have been able to afford them financially otherwise.
That is why when someone writes in a comment or review that “the whole game was made by AI,” it really frustrates me. Aside from the quest images, what exactly in this game was made by AI?
I am writing about this here because I genuinely care about what you think.
Future plans beyond The Succession of Changing Kings
Right now I am working on two projects: Your Judgement, Inquisitor and Nowhere Mage (it is not on Steam yet). With the money earned from The Succession of Changing Kings, I hired a pixel artist, Rufina, who is creating very atmospheric locations for Inquisitor.
In the story, you travel to a quiet monastery in northern Spain, where you will hear confessions, conduct investigations (and interrogations!), uncover mysteries, and exorcise demons. After all, what would you not do to become the Supreme Inquisitor… perhaps even form an alliance with Satan himself?
A short advertisement break: I would be very grateful if you added the game to your wishlist.
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Nowhere Mage, on the other hand, will be very similar to The Succession of Changing Kings in terms of mechanics, but you will also be able to travel across the map, fight opponents in card battles, and of course build relationships with factions.
Updates to The Succession of Changing Kings
Already this weekend I will release an update that fixes several issues. I am also actively working on gameplay statistics and the ability to watch the final video at any time. Steam Deck optimization is coming soon, and Japanese and Chinese language support will also be added.
That is all for now. I am very grateful for your support, your interest in the game, and your fair criticism. It inspires me and allows me to continue doing something I unexpectedly fell in love with.
