Sultan's Game
Draw cards, obey the Sultan, and survive seven days.
Sultan's Game is a role-playing video game from developer Double Cross and publisher 2P Games, launched on Steam on March 30, 2025. In the game, the player is commanded by the Sultan to take part in a seven-day challenge where they draw cards and perform the tasks written on them. The deck begins with four types of cards—Carnality, Extravagance, Conquest, and Bloodshed—each assigned a rank of Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Stone.
According to Metacritic, the PC version received generally favorable reviews. RPGFan praised its Arabic-inspired art and music, calling it full of imaginative writing and scenarios. PC Gamer, in a demo review, noted the game felt complete and forces players to commit evil acts to survive, yet avoids feeling gratuitous or relying on shock value. GamerSky highlighted how out-of-game progression elements, similar to roguelikes, encourage multiple playthroughs. Softpedia admired its dark and beautiful visuals but warned that some content borders on NSFW and could offend certain players.
Chinese fans developed a strong attachment to Nawfal, the Sultan’s political rival, often expressing this through fan art and in-game decisions to help overthrow the Sultan. Writer Chen Silin attributed this appeal to Nawfal’s resemblance to figures from feudal China who overthrew corrupt regimes, a parallel many Chinese fans recognized.
Within 48 hours of release, Sultan's Game sold 100,000 copies. By July 2025, sales had reached one million.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Double Cross
- Publisher
- 2P Games
- Platforms
- Windows
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In Sultan's Game, the player is ordered by the eponymous Sultan to play the 'Sultan's Game' for his amusement. The player must draw cards and complete the designated action within seven days. The game begins with four kinds of cards: Carnality, Extravagance, Conquest, and Bloodshed, each containing a rank of Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Stone. The PC version received generally favorable reviews from critics according to Metacritic. RPGFan praised its Arabic-inspired aesthetics and music, calling it 'brimming with imaginative writing and scenarios'. PC Gamer noted in a demo review its completeness and how it forces players to do 'evil things' to survive without feeling gratuitous or done for shock value. GamerSky complimented how it encourages multiple playthroughs with out-of-game progression elements akin to roguelikes. Softpedia appreciated its 'dark and beautiful' visual elements but noted some veer close to NSFW, which could offend players.
Reader's Guide
Sultan's Game achieved notable commercial success, selling 100,000 copies within 48 hours of release and reaching one million sales by July 2025. Its reception highlighted a blend of compelling moral dilemmas and aesthetic appeal. The game's design, forcing players to commit morally questionable acts to survive, was seen as a strength rather than a flaw, avoiding gratuitousness. The out-of-game progression elements, similar to roguelikes, encouraged repeated playthroughs. The Arabic-inspired aesthetics and music were widely praised, though some visual elements were noted as potentially offensive due to their NSFW nature. A unique cultural phenomenon emerged among Chinese fans, who adored the political rival Nawfal. This was expressed through player agreements to help overthrow the Sultan and through fan art. Writer Chen Silin attributed this to Nawfal evoking figures of feudal China who overthrew corrupt regimes, a resonance some Chinese fans appeared aware of. The game's legacy includes its successful integration of card-based mechanics with narrative-driven role-playing, its commercial performance, and its unexpected cultural impact in China.
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