Title: Sultan’s Game
Developer: Double Cross
Publisher: 2P Games
Release Date: March 31st, 2025
Platforms: PC
Reviewed on: PC via Steam
Price: $24.99 (USD)

Sultan’s Game is a PC title developed by Double Cross. This deck builder takes skill and challenge to a whole new level with an appealing art style and layered narrative. There’s a lot beneath the surface that is working digging for, but let’s dive into the review itself to see if it is for you.

Note: A game key was provided in advance of its release date. Thank you, Double Cross.

Summary

As a servant of a cruel Sultan, you are tasked to play this mysterious (and cursed) deck of cards or face execution. These cards consist of various favorite pastimes of the Sultan: extravagance, carnality, bloodshed, and conquest. Each type is also stratified by tier: stone, bronze, silver, and gold. While you play this game, you are trying to gather allies, maintain your home, and potentially escape the cycle of death.

This story is executed as an RPG deck-builder rogue-like. You must manage allies and resources as you navigate a branching storyline. How well is gameplay executed (pun intended)? Read on!

Analysis

Gameplay

Sultan’s Game truly is like an iceberg, with a seemingly basic premise that leads you down a rabbit hole…if you perservere. As a rogue-like deck-building RPG, gameplay elements include utilizing cards such as characters, attributes, and items in order to break those Sultan cards. You have seven days per Sultan card to “break” them or else the Sultan executes you.

The game begins with a tutorial, although it can come off as jarring. In the tutorial, you play as the Sultan. This mysterious woman arrives with a “magical game”. You break these cards by acting on the vices inscribed. It is pretty straight-forward. You get a bloodshed card? You pick someone from your court to execute with no thought of consequences. However, when the game proper begins, it turns on its head, and you play as a noble who is burdened with playing the game. While it has an interesting narrative flow, it did confuse me, and the tutorial ended up set me back in my understanding of the game because the entire goal and tone is different. Also, there are lots of other consequences that weren’t as clear in the tutorial. This led me to very quick game overs and frustration.

It took several attempts to finally get through a semi-satisfying run. This required that I completely let go of what I previously thought of how to play Sultan’s Game in the tutorial and go on my own, independent journey. These are the basics of how to get the best out of a run:

• You have seven days to break one card.
• Once you break a card, you start the cycle over again with a new card; therefore, there actually isn’t a rush to break your card immediately.
• Utilize as many days you can per cycle to unlock attributes and side stories as those are what will help you progress on the long run.
• Gathering allies and improving their stats will allow you to delegate them to more missions.
• Don’t piss off the Sultan.

The RPG elements are interesting. You obtain attributes or items by completing tasks such as succeeding in a roll in the bookstore or purchasing items from the merchant. You either apply those directly to your character cards or attached them to a side story with a character.

Although there is a lot of content and variety, things can get lost, appear unclear, or feel jarring. For example, if you assign your wife to a side mission, the story narrates itself as if you were completing this mission. The text is generally slow, and the auto function doesn’t appear to help. The auto sorting of your cards seems a bit haphazard. When you roll the dice, you have gold dice and potential re-rolls; however, the UI can make things a bit challenging to understand or execute things.

With all that being said, the foundation laid for Sultan’s Game is an interesting and fun one to get lost in; however, the rough edges can make it difficult to stay interested in long enough to keep playing. I will say though that I am glad that I pushed through some of these things, and I have been rewarded with boons and longer runs that have successfully tempted me to return.

Art Style and Music

The art style is gorgeous and a strength to Sultan’s Game. All the cards are a work of art, and the visuals when breaking a Sultan card (or dying) is a feast for the senses. Your map is laid out on a worn cloth, giving it an ancient, Middle Eastern feel.

The music is in keeping with the theme; however, it is not as strong as its visuals. I didn’t notice it until my longer runs, but it became repetitive to the point where I turned it down. The music itself is beautiful, but it can get tiring with no variety.

FINAL SCORE:

Sultan’s Game has a lot of potential. With strengths in its visual art style and branching paths based on your decisions, you are challenged with digging your way out of a cursed game. There are several setbacks including a rather unimpressive UI, repetitive music, and a jarring tutorial; however, I’ve learned that if you stick around long enough to understand the rules, you are rewarded with seemingly endless possibilities. Will you be faithful to your wife? Will you betray all your friends?

With all that said, Sultan’s Game is a treasure trove of possibilities and immense replay value as long as you are patient and forgiving with the minor rough edges. Take it from me–I’m almost at 30 hours and I can’t seem to stop! If you enjoy rogue-like deck builders with a lot of strategy and resource management–and have patience–I feel that Sultan’s Game may be worthy of a try!

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Featured Image Source: Double Cross via Steam