It’s hard to know how to talk about a game like ‘Slay the Princess’ as part of its whole appeal is the mystique it builds around itself. Black Tabby Games presents their visual novel as a simple quest; you find yourself in a dark forest on the path to a cabin sitting atop a hill. Within the basement of that cabin is The Princess, chained up and locked away. Why? Because she holds the power to end the world as we know it. And so it is the player’s destiny to, as the title suggests, slay The Princess. Guided by a voice known only as ‘The Narrator’, as well as some of the voices in your head, you climb the hill to confront this task. Or do you…?
‘Slay the Princess’ asks you to question the information you’re given right from the start. Given no context surrounding this world, or your true place in it, the player is encouraged to explore what is really going on here. The game is immediately engaging because of this, as you are left to make your own judgments based on what little information you’re able to coax from the secretive Narrator. Right from the first chapter too, you are given so many means to further the story in a way that feels almost personal. It’s almost guaranteed that everyone’s first experience with this game is going to be so different.
There are countless consequences, outcomes, and eventualities to experience; it’s truly impressive to see just how many layers there are to ‘Slay the Princess.’ Once the first chapter is over, you’ll find yourself in one of many parallel realities, and not only will these new worlds challenge your previous perspectives, but new voices in your head will urge you in different directions. You often have to really take a moment to wrestle with your decisions before making them. But even then, each new path is gripping, horrifying, exciting or even funny; there are no wrong choices, just new discoveries and outlooks.
Each layer you peel back, you learn more and more, and this, in turn, informs your later decisions. And it doesn’t get bogged down in unnecessary chatter, either. The pacing feels perfectly balanced. The four hours you initially spend with the game will go by so smoothly. You’re allowed to go at your own pace and ask questions if you want, but if you want to get straight to business, then you can do that as well. It doesn’t waste your time; it keeps leading you along in anticipation (and sometimes morbid curiosity) of what’s coming next, just like a good, gripping horror tale should.
Although each full playthrough clocks in at only four hours long, the amount of variety on offer here will keep you going for much longer than that. It’s the sort of game you could finish in an afternoon, then come right back to it the next day for another go. For the purposes of this review, I did my best to discover as much of the game as I could, but despite that effort, I feel like I’ve only just begun to see what this game has to offer. I’m equally as excited to talk to others about their own experiences with the game once it’s released because it’s the sort of game that needs to be discussed, to be analyzed. The meta-narrative concepts it plays with are just so rich and fascinating; I have no doubt that I’ll be thinking about it well into next year and beyond.
All of this is bolstered by an incredible presentation; the visual style uses a highly detailed, monochromatic sketchbook style that is both beautiful and expressive but equally eerie and uncanny. Visuals enhance the grim horror of certain scenes, and some scenes can be especially grisly in their detail without feeling gratuitous. There’s one scene I can think of in particular that was exceptionally horrific, but anyone with a good sense for horror and the macabre will find it hard to look away from such moments, as they’re just so astonishing in how gruesome they are.
The voice work here is excellent, too, with incredible range from both Jonathan Sims (who plays The Narrator, amongst others) and Nichole Goodnight (who plays The Princess). Both voice actors sell so many emotions, moods, and temperaments that it makes the game ten times more entertaining. Just about every line of dialogue is voiced too, and it only further adds to the immersion of a playthrough. Some of the witty internal monologues that The Narrator has with the voices in your own head are so comical, witty, and full of personality, and honestly, you could have convinced me that separate actors voiced each version of The Princess, the talent here is just that astounding. ‘Slay the Princess’ would be amazing without such stellar voice work, but it soars above other indie visual novels, thanks to it.
There is at least one flaw I can pick on; perhaps the one thing I would have liked is if the game itself had a gallery or some sort of scene selection, so you could go back to certain routes. Maybe a flowchart like the one found in the Zero Escape series would have been a good inclusion if only to help the player experience new storylines. But that’s just the nature of ‘Slay the Princess,’ to constantly keep you guessing, wondering what you can do differently to see the unseen and uncover the secrets left lurking within the twisted, thoughtful narrative.
Slay the Princess is a game all about perspectives, secrets, about scrutinizing the information you’re given. It’ll worm its way inside your mind, and sometimes you’ll even start second-guessing your own decisions. But that’s the whole fun of it; it asks you to examine your own preconceived notions and your own ideals, and that makes it enjoyable to the very end. For fans of visual novels, unique narrative adventures, and even those outside those circles, this is an essential indie visual novel that is well worth your time.
