Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit

I had fun with this one, especially the small dive into Polish-Lithuanian history. Short game though...less than 8 hours. But we enjoyed our time.

If you play beware of what you pick to be as a profession, as if your not a photographer you don't get a camera, if your not a psychologist you don't get a book, or if your not a programmer you don't get a usb plug. I hate that you have to restart the game from the beginning to be all of them or one just to get what you need to progress in the game. This game really needs to be tweeked before you distribute it. Could and would be a nice game if these didn't happen. I like how the game starts and the nice cities you visit, but overall a bad game to publish without the tweeks being fixed.

Intriguing premise, and notable for being the first adventure game I've played set in Lithuania. Unfortunately it falls into some classic point-and-click traps: slow, unskippable animations and many tedious steps to accomplish simple tasks. I got bored in an extended sequence of trial and error trying to distract a librarian. Advice to all adventure game developers: streamline the exposition, skip straight to the exciting parts.

Would only give this 2/10. Wants to be a Broken Sword, but doesn't come anywhere close. Short game only spun out with tedious fetch quests and nonsensical inventory item combinations.

You can clearly see the influence of genre classics like Broken Sword and Syberia on Crowns and Pawns (and not just because you can feed the goat and wiggle the mammoth in this game). The graphics are cute and playful, the voice acting is fantastic (except for a few lines from one specific individual in the final scene that sound… not dramatic enough - let’s leave it at that), and every character is just bursting with personality. Dialogues flow nicely, and Milda’s comments are often genuinely funny and perfectly timed. Pair that with multiple options in conversations and some puzzle solutions, and you’ve got a really cool and unique take on the classic point'n'click adventure formula. Story-wise, it’s very good. I'm not familiar with Lithuanian history, so this version of "chasing a mysterious manuscript across Europe" (that even our boy George Stobbart wouldn’t be ashamed of) brought back fond memories of my favorite adventure games. Still, it didn’t quite hit the same home run as the Templars did - probably because the Holy Grail is a bit more familiar than the story of the lost Lithuanian crown. Regardless, Crowns and Pawns is a fantastic game, with very logical puzzles, top-tier voice acting, witty humor, and plenty of clever nods to the golden age of adventure games. We need more of this! Oh, and more scooter scenes!

Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit is a point-and-click adventure that embraces the genre’s traditions while weaving a modern, culturally rich mystery grounded in Lithuanian and Eastern European history. The game begins unassumingly, with Milda, a young professional living a fairly ordinary life in Chicago, receiving news that her grandfather has passed away and left her a house overseas. What seems like an unexpected but manageable inheritance quickly transforms into a sprawling investigation when she discovers that her grandfather’s past was tied to long-buried secrets involving royal lineage, ancient conspiracies, and political tensions that still echo in the present. From that moment forward, the narrative expands into a mix of personal discovery, historical intrigue, and globe-spanning clues—a structure that immediately sets the tone for an adventure that blends contemporary life with centuries-old mysteries. What helps make Milda a compelling protagonist is the touch of personalization the game gives at the outset. By choosing her profession and appearance, you shape subtle aspects of her problem-solving style and dialogue interactions, making her feel slightly more tailored to your playstyle without turning the experience into a branching RPG. This sense of agency is small but effective, grounding you more fully in her role as she navigates ancient documents, secret messages, and dangerous machinations. Milda is written with a balanced mix of curiosity, humor, and grounded emotion, making her easy to root for as she pieces together truths that her family—and possibly powerful strangers—have tried to obscure. The gameplay adheres to classic point-and-click design while avoiding the pitfalls that often accompany the genre. You explore vibrant, painterly environments and gather clues, items, and documents that connect the narrative threads. Puzzles vary from traditional inventory combinations to more interpretive tasks involving deciphering symbols, analyzing historical letters, and assembling information on Milda’s phone. This mixture keeps the gameplay feeling fresh, allowing puzzles to serve the story rather than stop it dead. While some puzzles do lean into trial-and-error or more obscure logic, most are grounded in narrative context, making you feel like an active participant in unraveling the plot rather than a bystander solving abstract riddles. The game’s visuals and atmosphere elevate the entire experience. The backgrounds are richly illustrated, capturing both the old-world charm of European cities and the quiet mystery of their hidden corners. Churches, apartments, museums, and ancient ruins all have a distinct personality, with lighting and color palettes that reinforce the tone of each major chapter. Characters are fully voiced, and while the 3D models don’t always blend seamlessly with the hand-painted environments, the performances help bring warmth and personality to the cast. The soundtrack works quietly in the background, shifting between moody, mysterious tunes and lighter, warmer melodies, giving each scene a sense of emotional grounding without overwhelming the player. A few rough edges do appear along the way. Certain interactive sequences—such as timed reactions or chase scenes—can disrupt the otherwise smooth pacing and feel disconnected from the cerebral tone of the rest of the game. A handful of puzzles are overly fiddly or unintuitive, and occasional tonal swings—from humorous character banter to heavy historical revelations—don’t always fit together perfectly. Yet these flaws, while noticeable, never overshadow the game’s strengths. They instead highlight that this is a modern adventure that is still very much in conversation with its genre roots, embracing some of the quirks that long-time fans may recognize immediately. By the time the story reaches its climax, Crowns and Pawns manages to tie together its blend of history, family mystery, and political drama into a satisfying conclusion. The sense of journey—both literal and personal—feels earned, and the cultural setting lends the story a freshness rarely seen in modern adventure games. It is a thoughtful, atmospheric, and lovingly crafted experience that balances intrigue with heart, presenting a mystery that feels both intimate and historically resonant. For fans of narrative-driven adventures, especially those who appreciate grounded mysteries enriched by real culture and history, Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit stands out as a compelling and memorable entry in the genre. Rating: 7/10

My my ... a classic adventure game as advertised. Harmless and enjoyable. A game I played through to the end and felt that it was worth doing. Thank you for making this game. Make more like this. :)

Very little to complain about from a game play standpoint if you are use to the point and click style games like this. A hint feature could have been nice as some answers are not obvious. Now to where I felt the game could improve, it was so close to being a really interesting story. I think the issue was not feeling connected to the lead. SPOILERS AHEAD: Throughout the game, we see small portions of her family dynamic (her struggling relationship with her mother and her father and grandfathers absence from a young age) so narratively you think it is a slam dunk for her to share how that has shaped her life and lack of identity (given we pick nearly everything about her from dialogue, style, even her job) and how her motivation to get the crown is to gain the family she has lost and hopefully bring her father back in her life. The major draw is we never see that. Her reunion with her grandfather who she thought she was DEAD was summarized by her in text as a lol XD omg so crazy story. They take the seriousness out of the situation which, in my opinion, waters down her character and our motivation. Making her big confrontation scene with the villain of the game so lack luster. It's not an awful story line, but it is so mid compared to what it could have been with some narrative changes. It seems like someone made a killer plot and then the publishers took all the negative stuff out to make it #relatable and consumer friendly. Okay for the price but could have been so much better in my opinion.

Me ha gustado mucho la verdad, históricamente es interesante y los personajes son graciosetes. Que esté todo doblado es un plus y que esté en español también para aquellos vagos que no quieren aprender inglés. Aparte la dificultad de los puzles son facilillos y no te atascas (si tienes más de 6 neuronas)

I did enjoy it initially, but the longer it takes the worse it gets. Feels like the dev ran out of money after the middle part and just rushed to the end. Game felt rather small, just a few areas of interest, nothing significant. End location is just a single puzzle, ending is just a cutscene. As for puzzles, it is a mixed bag. Some of them are cool, require you to think, but others are constructed in a way to confuse you. Unfortunately the game does not get rid of reduntant items (maybe to obfuscate what is useful and what not) and the character does not sprint. Also, location that are no longer relevant are not cut off, so you may end up wandering aimlessly trying to figure out what to do. I had to consult the walkthrough at least a couple of times, because I did not have fun engaging the puzzles and jus wanted to finish the game. The dev is technically adept, the mechanics and graphics are nice. They will be making a sequel to Vampire Story, where they will get direction from ex - Lucas Arts veterans, so I am hoping they will shine with that game. As for this one, you can just as easily skip it. The story is rather bland.