The Council (video game)

Lore & Background

The Council is the first release of French development studio Big Bad Wolf, a branch of Cyanide. The game is set in 1793 on an elusive island near the coast of England, where various influential political figures from Europe gather for a mysterious purpose. The player controls Louis de Richet, a member of the Golden Order, a fictional secret society that seeks occult artifacts. Louis arrives at the manor of Lord Mortimer under the guise of helping find his missing mother Sarah de Richet, and secrets regarding Lord Mortimer's influence upon world leaders begin to unfold.

The game features a progression system with 15 character skills, 44 talents, and 20 traits. The player chooses between three classes: Diplomat, Occultist, and

Reader's Guide

The Council received mixed to positive reception, with most praise going to the complex story, setting, and art direction, and most criticism aimed at the graphics, character animation, and technical issues. On Metacritic, the PC version holds a rating of 67 out of 100, and the PS4 version holds a score of 74. John-Paul Jones of PlayStation Universe called it 'an innovative narrative adventure quite unlike any other,' noting that it treats the audience as intelligent, educated individuals. Brittany Vincent of The Indie Game Website praised the story and gameplay mechanics, stating that the game makes players feel that something is truly on the line. In a mixed review, Adventure Gamers' Todd Rigney praised the setting and ideas but criticized the pacing of the story and the final episodes, noting that the ending could force the player down a particular path that transforms the character's personality. The game is significant for blending historical figures with occult themes and RPG-style progression in an episodic adventure format, setting a blueprint for future titles in the genre.

Did You Know?

• The Council was released in five episodes between March 13, 2018, and December 4, 2018.
• The game features real-life figures such as George Washington, Napoléon Bonaparte, and Manuel Godoy.
• The player can choose between three classes: Diplomat, Occultist, and Detective.
• The book Al-Azif is mentioned during the prologue as the item Louis and his mother were caught stealing.

Narrative & World-Building

The Council places players in 1793, following Louis de Richet as he searches for his mother Sarah, head of the French branch of the Golden Order—a secret society hunting occult artifacts. The story opens with both mother and son captured after being caught stealing a book called Al-Azif. Louis is then summoned to the manor of Lord Mortimer on a hard-to-find island off England's coast, ostensibly to help locate his mother, but the true purpose is far darker: influential political figures from across Europe and the United States have gathered there under Mortimer's mysterious influence. What sets the narrative apart is its braiding of fictional characters with real historical figures—George Washington, Napoléon Bonaparte, and Manuel Godoy all appear as key players in the conspiracy. The setting is further enriched by the incorporation of genuine paintings, books, and sculptures into the environment and puzzle design, creating a layered world where the line between art history and occult intrigue blurs.

Gameplay & RPG Systems

Rather than relying on a single fixed protagonist, The Council lets players choose from three distinct classes—Diplomat, Occultist, and Detective—each carrying its own five-skill set. The Diplomat works with Etiquette, Conviction, Politics, Diversion, and Linguistics; the Occultist draws on Science, Occultism, Manipulation, Erudition, and Subterfuges; the Detective leans on Questioning, Vigilance, Psychology, Logic, and Agility. Beyond these fifteen skills, the progression layer includes forty-four talents that grant permanent bonuses, unlocked through skill milestones, specific in-game actions, or consulting the journal for character weaknesses and immunities. A third layer, twenty traits, applies hidden positive or negative effects the player never sees coming. An EXP system raises both the character's overall level and individual skill levels, meaning dialogue choices, environmental interactions, and NPC encounters all shift based on how the player has shaped Louis. This depth was a deliberate departure from standard point-and-click conventions.

Critical Reception

The Council landed in a mixed-to-positive range on review aggregators, with the PC build scoring 67 on Metacritic and the PS4 version reaching 74. Praise consistently centered on the narrative ambition, the rich 1793 setting, and the art direction that wove real artworks into the puzzle environment. Reviewers highlighted how the game treated its audience as educated, intelligent players, crafting a sophisticated geopolitical backdrop laced with occult themes. One critic called it an innovative narrative adventure unlike any other, while another emphasized the emotional stakes—characters you grow attached to can genuinely be lost through your decisions, and the tangled web of choices makes simple save-reload fixes impractical. On the negative side, graphics, character animation, and technical glitches drew consistent criticism. Pacing was another recurring concern; one reviewer noted that despite mountains of dialogue, the game sometimes lacked substance. The final episodes also divided opinion, with some feeling the ending forced a particular path that could undermine a carefully built character.

Development & Release

The Council marked the debut of Big Bad Wolf, a French development studio operating as a branch of Cyanide, and was published by Focus Home Interactive. Rather than launching as a single product, the game rolled out in five episodes spanning from March 13 to December 4, 2018, giving players a sustained narrative arc over nearly nine months. The episodic structure allowed the story to unfold gradually, building the conspiracy around Lord Mortimer and the island gathering piece by piece. The game's visual identity leaned heavily on real-world art—actual paintings, books, and sculptures were embedded into the setting and puzzle mechanics, giving the 1793 world a tangible cultural texture. Despite being a studio's first title, the project incorporated RPG-style leveling and skill systems that influenced both environmental interactions and NPC dialogue, a design choice that reviewers noted set it apart from conventional adventure games. The combination of historical conspiracy, occult mystery, and role-playing progression made it a distinctive entry in the episodic adventure space.