
A Visual Novel game filled with romance, action, and intrigue. Create your Dragon Commander, befriend or romance the future King, and find the courage to save the Kingdom.
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About

Two children raised together. One, a future King. The other, his whipping child.
Their relationship? It's up to you to develop.
This is the first game in "The Many Kingdoms" Visual Novel series.
✨Age suggested: 16+ for non-explicit sexual scenes, some soft swearing, and violence.✨
MATHIAS’S HEART HAS BEEN bleeding since his father, the former King, decided to punish you for his mistakes. As the youngest child of a lesser bourgeois, you were raised in the castle, between the King’s cruelty, the Queen’s friendship, and Mathias’s kindness (or supposed kindness?).
Now, more than twenty Carnivals since your arrival, the King is dead and the Queen’s sickness worsens each day. As the azure taint spreads in the kingdom and the Opalean Wars come to an end, it’s Mathias’s time to sit on the throne. Will the docile Prince become a kind King, a violent Monarch, or a ruthless Tyrant?
Will you have any say in it?
And how much will your relationship change? Develop your personality and see how your choices build and change your bond with Mathias. It’s time to help him choose. Will your monarch Love the Guard or Be the King?
Create your Dragon Commander; choose their gender, name, appearance, and hobbies.
Build your personality.
You past helps you build your future: decide how you feel about your past and see how that develops your bonds with the other characters of the cast.
270K+
Black & White aesthetic
24 black & white CGs + 2 colored illustrations
One Love Interest with five possible types of branching relationships, non-romantic options included, and possible romantic rendezvous with other characters while in Mathias’s friendship route.
LGBTQIA+ friendly + representation (you can choose your gender and your relationship with Mathias and Mandreis)
Age suggested: 16+ for non-explicit sexual scenes, some soft swearing, and violence.
♥ Mathias Jan Yvanson (Love Interest) - The Crown Prince - 28 - He / Him - Bi/demisexual
You and Mathias were raised together. As you grew up, he would often read for you, treat your wounds, and he honestly thought he was protecting you while your whole life went up in flames.
Mathias is the future King of Opala, but something seems to be missing, and you're not the only one who sees it. With Mathias being the target of a ravenous court, it's up to you to give him the guidance and answers he needs—or to sit back and watch as the flames get higher. He may seem innocent and good, but there's an underlying layer of guilt shaping his personality. Will you enforce it, break it, or use it in your favor?
♥ Mandreis Jay Yvanson (possible fling) - The Grand General - 26 - They / Them - Pansexual
Mathias's sibling and the-one-who-didn't-have-a-whipping-child. Like you, Mandra was also a victim of King Elias's punishments, and it shows in the many scars they carry.
Everything Mandra does has a reason, and no matter how reckless, rude, or violent they may be, you can be sure of one thing: they'll have Mathias exactly in the place he should be, one way or another. Mandra was once the child who ran after you and Mathias. Today, they're the Grand General of the Opalean Forces, and the symbol of everything that could've gone right—but didn't. Their intentions? Not even the Goddess knows. Their heart? It belongs to only one person.
♥ Melike Jal Yvanson - The Ambassador - 22 - She/Her - Bisexual
Mathias and Mandra's younger sister and the child-who-was-sent-away. Melike has been living in Safira as a hostage and ambassador for the past five years. She is considered The Royal Flower of Opalean nobility, and despite having stayed almost a decade away from home, she is still loved by the nobles and the people alike.
Also known as the “Child of the two Queens,” Melike has always been a constant in the Opaleans' lives. When Queen Yvana lost control, Melike’s missives from Safira, read out loud by criers in the public market, were the only thing filling her people with hope.
Melike is a gifted Arcano, attentive, gentle, and terribly intelligent—but she is also dangerous. She likes the metaphor about flowers and thorns, but, as her namesake indicates, she prefers the idea of being poisonous.
♠ Queen Yvana Jal Yvanson - THE Queen - 53 - She / Her - Bi
The Queen was the one responsible for bringing you into the Castle, decades ago. She used to be sweet and good while you were growing up, but something changed and nobody knows exactly what. Now, as the Azure Taint consumes her, Queen Yvana seems to slowly go back to her former self. Be careful, though. Her gentle countenance hides secrets that go much beyond the black cherry wood forming her crown.
♠ Doctor Helena Filtchen - The Spymaster The Royal Doctor - 56 - She / Her - Lesbian
Brutal when needed, incisive when asked, and always paying attention. Some people might think her long-lasting, romantic relationship with Queen Yvana left her too soft to keep acting in the shadows, but Dr. Filtchen is always ready to prove them wrong. She's now focused on studying the Azure Taint and on finding a cure. If she'll find it in time or not, that's another story.
♣ Master Mercurio - The Great Arcanos - ??? - He / Them - Demisexual
Nobody knows exactly where he comes from, but "Master Curio," as Mathias has always called him, is possibly one of, if not the most powerful Arcane Mage in all the Five Kingdoms. Nobody knows why or how Master Curio chooses their students or how many they are, but he is in Opala now to train Mathias—and he better not waste the opportunity.
♣ ...And YOU! - The Dragon Commander
Child of a lesser bourgeois, you were raised in the Castle with everything a royal child could have—plus a painful coating of scars that mask your back, arms, nape, and face. Build your own Dragon Commander, your relationship with Mathias and the others, and discover the past that binds you all, so you can stir your present in the direction you want... and maybe decide the future of the entire kingdom.
About the dev:
Writing stories that welcome you home. Brazilian, 90's kid, panromantic, demisexual, interested in all things artistic.
Ligia Nunes is an award-winning writer, Visual Novel Developer, feminist, queer, and Brazilian Latina born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil. At the same time writer, illustrator, translator, and terrible karaokê singer, she's the type of supervillain who's decided to dream big and conquer the Word. Ligia puts her characters to play, battle, and fall hopelessly in love in medieval settings built with her favorite cities' dark corners as bricks, technology as blood, and Brazilian folklore as soul. When she’s not wickedly plotting against her main characters—or making them pine for one another—she’s developing games or searching for the perfect pistachio ice cream.
Genres
Stats
All-time low is the lowest price we've recorded for this game since we started tracking it.
Languages: English
Engagement
Hours played at review time, across 23 reviews with recorded playtime.
Reviews
I wholeheartedly recommend this VN. I already played it a ton on itch and it still gives me goosebumps. + interesting black-and-white art style + complex characters, engaging story and fantastic world-building + lots of choices and paths. Lift the future king up or nag him every chance you get. Now go and be the Dragon Commandar Opala needs... or deserves! ;)
Im not sure how to articulate my thoughts, but i'll try. Stumbling across this game on itch.io was probably one of the best things to have happened to me. What an experience. The characters, the writing, the sound, the art. This game is truly defines the possibilities of the visual novel format, and is a well crafted love letter to fantasy, romance, friendship, and magic. I am so excited to follow and support this series, and can honestly reccommend this game to anyone with a passion for introspection and the art of the pen. If you can, buying this game is well worth it and will emotionally leave you raw (in a good way lol.) In short, this game is a must-play for fans of visual, choice-based storytelling with elements of high fantasy and i could not be more enthused for what this creator has in store next.
5/5。美味美味真是美味,喜欢西幻权谋元素的一定要打这个。 这一部不是那种很畅快的爽文故事,反而是角色被各种势力围剿的挣扎和痛苦,写得比较现实主义。政治悬疑元素写得不错,故事里的宫廷充满龃龉与压抑,每个人都被不同的东西牵制着,在重重重压下凝滞得仿佛死水一样直到被毫不令人意外的阴谋冲破。 剧情铺设得很巧妙,故事不是顺叙而是穿插着与主线交织的回忆,作者用这样以及欲扬先抑的方法更有层次地揭开角色的不同面纱。比如一开始唯一的ro mathias刚出场我觉得他就是个spoiled brat,天真幼稚优柔寡断,但后面却发现他其实是很有责任心很仁慈的人。同样地,这种插叙也会让背景故事更有悬疑感,比如mc到底在犹疑什么以及他们几人的成长路径到底是什么样的。此外叙事节奏也很均衡,没有出现某个地方特别草率的情况。整个游戏的主线时间就只有两三天而已,而mc的生活被琐碎的人琐碎的事以及各种令人摸不着头脑的东西填满,但是这些都不是闲笔而是在不同的地方产生了呼应。 mc的性格是那种骄傲但又苦涩爱自嘲的,ptsd写得很美味,并没有什么自怜自嬷感(是的我在骂i the forgotten one),只有类似于不甘与怨恨。mc和mathias是截然不同的两类人,两个人就像两块不算完全契合的拼图但血肉模糊地磨合在一起。mc坚强冷静但充满痛苦与伤疤、戒备着一切人一切事,mathias外表柔弱顺从但内心非常坚强,总是安抚着用坚定不移的爱意包裹住mc的伤痛。mc有点回避型和低配得感,她已经逐渐学会自己咽下苦果,而mathias是那个永远无法推走的恋人,总是坚定地选择mc,始终剥开自己的心等待着mc的选择。就像哨向一样,每当mc快要失控绝望的时候,mathias会作为向导、作为一个永远不会偏移的灯塔照在mc身上。当mc终于崩溃着坦白自己的爱意的时候我大哭,太苦了完全是苦命鸳鸯。竹马就是最好的啊啊啊,老夫老妻细水长流好味好味。 群像写得很好吃,三个sibling各有各的魅力。mathias性格真的写得很好,复杂多面,看似温柔善良但内核稳定,后面介绍说他是次子就很能解释他的性格成因了。标题似乎是从mathias的视角来写的,因为他爱他的guard(也就是mc),所以他要为了mc成为更加强大的国王。mandra是个很可爱的角色,和mathias的相处很针锋相对(尤其是mc在场的时候)但其实也充满对家人的爱,那种任性恣意但靠谱的气质真的很难让人不喜欢。你们都是我的翅膀啊!melike也很狡猾甜美,非常擅长读空气。其他的npc也都很美味,性格很多样很丰满。 编故事那一段太会写了,将游戏与现实相互映衬,本来是大家打闹着编故事玩,但是各自都向故事里的角色投射了自己的真心,mc潜意识里总是孤独而悲观直到mathias的闯入扭转了故事的结局。然后当mathias说出we’re also here for you的时候我真的要尖叫了,大家都太苦了,但还是坚定地相信着彼此。 文笔非常美丽,书写出的感情很细腻,用的比喻也都很精彩。比如原文这一段:His words were my executioner, swinging their ax on my throat. And all he needed to make the ax hit its target was indeed one sentence. Just three little words. mc可自定义性别和立绘。bgm特别特别特别好听而且和剧情非常搭配,上一次我这么喜欢一部vn里的bgm还是misericorde。sd上基本能玩,但menu页面ui会很乱。此游居然有云存档,感觉一般vn都没有这个功能。 结尾表明故事并没有结束,应该是还会有续作的。燥候燥候,这一部质量真的很高。
I had been following the making of this game for a long time. I was so excited when it finaly lauched. It's beautiful and I highly recommend everyone give it a try you wont be disapointed.
Quisiera dejar este comentario en español, meramente porque puedo expresarme mejor de esta manera. Para quien sea que esté viendo esto, de verdad, si les gustan las historias que realmente dependen y cambian según tus opiniones y puntos de vista, que pueden hacerte tanto pasarte unas risas como sentir vergüenza y hasta rabia en algunos momentos, y que puede tomarte un buen tiempo para completar, te aseguro que esta novela te va a gustar. Esto es un proyecto que lleva años, nacido en itch. Y no es que solo el juego sea bueno, es que su creadora es igual, se nota bastante bien su experiencia como escritora, sea que pruebes esto por primera vez, que la sigas, o conozcas alguno de sus otros proyectos en otros lados. Sea que te interese la fantasía, el romance, las rivalidades, algo que te haga querer saber todo lo que puedas con infinidad de estrategias, lo recomiendo por completo. Espero que esto algún día tenga el reconocimiento que se merece y más aún. Y ya estoy esperando poder ver sobre la historia de todo lo que se nos venga en el futuro. Y sin olvidar para dejar demostrar mi emoción: ncjdskdksvnjsvdsjvnjsnvjkndasknvkjs <3<3<3<3<3 Eso es todo jaja
It's been a long time since I've played something this good! It's very exciting, touching, and emotionally charged, and the writing is of high quality. In some moments, I've covered my entire T-shirt in tears, no joke. The music, sound design, art, and TEXT - should have been sold for a higher price. If you're unsure whether to play or not, don't hesitate I've never been looked at with such a loving gaze in any visual novel, so how did you do it? (Don't break my heart, M, you're next)
挺好玩的,踩了无数个视觉小说雷(我的问题)后久旱逢甘雨 故事发生在一个奥术存在的世界,五大王国之一的 Opala。老国王去世后,王后的病情日益加重。随着战争接近尾声,各方势力蠢蠢欲动,而主角作为辅佐 Mathias 的 Dragon Commander(类似贴身侍卫),同时也是他的青梅竹马,需要确保他在狂欢节这天顺利完成加冕仪式。[spoiler]不过这个加冕是真的从头上长出皇冠[/spoiler] 本作只有唯一浪漫对象Mathias,标题love the guard be the king就是他的视角独白,其他可以flirt但无法建立关系的角色有Mathias的手足Mandreis(非二元),也即Opala的大将军。 我最喜欢的是根据不同的选择,主角的性格以及与 Mathias 的关系都会截然不同,而作者的差分写得特别美味。三条路线Seeker、Destroyer、Ruler:Seeker 线两人的关系最健康,Mathias 亲密友善;而在 Destroyer 和 Ruler 线,主角与 Mathias 或戏谑讥讽,或针锋相对。就像一面镜子,如果你总告诫 Mathias 要紧握权力,他反过来也会以权力命令你服从。这种姿态,是 Seeker 线的 Mathias 绝不会展现出来的。 然而呢我喜欢上不可攻略之物的底层代码又在发力,看见Mandreis就义无反顾地进ta的浪漫线了。正如前文所说作者明确表示只有一个浪漫对象,所以玩到第四章Mand剧情变得很届不到的胃疼,[strike]明明是我先来的—— [/strike]本作写得最唯美的当属第三章的插叙,倾盆大雨,烛火跳动的木屋,雨珠自Mand微卷的发间坠下,停驻在ta肩头,渴望却克制的手,布满伤痕和茧的手,共享着同样的痛楚、同样的苦难、同样的惩戒,即使再不复回,你也要继续吗? 唯一的缺点可能是结尾大悬念戛然而止。据说续作会增加Mand浪漫线,拜托了一定要端上来啊
Story/Plot: Love the Guard, Be the King is a visual novel set in a fantasy kingdom, and you assume the role of the Dragon Commander, a close confidant of the the Prince. The game starts with his mother stepping down, and her son ascending to the throne. As you can guess, this wouldn't be much of a game if shenanigans didn't happen. It isn't a spoiler to say there are others that covet the throne, and you and those you protect are in the way. Being the first game of the series, it has a strong start, and would definitely like to see where it goes from this point. I do want to point out you can personalize your protagonist (pronouns, etc.) which is a nice touch. There is romance in the game with a couple different romance options, as well as options to be attracted to others, but unfortunately none of them stood out for me. I tend to prefer female romance options so hopefully there will be some in the next games. Even if not, I still liked the game to want to play the next one. Visuals: As a visual novel, the visuals can be broken down into backgrounds and character sprites. At first glance, none of this looks to be AI generated which I can appreciate. The overall style of backgrounds and sprirtes are black and white, and so it gives it a distinct look. I also appreciate the fact that the characters don't look like normal anime/manga characters. One plus is that you can personalize the appearance of your protagonist. More options would be nice, but the ones on hand are sufficient. Gameplay: As a visual novel, the biggest portion of gameplay is on your choices. Some of them may change your personality, others will affect future choices, so if you are inclined to go back and try something different, you should get a different game....such as if you romance someone in one game, but stay friends for another. There is one portion near the end that seems timed and thus can limit the reach of your choices. I can appreciate such instances, though it is hard to say just how much of an effect it has without playing multiple times. Since the game is done in the RenPy engine, replaying isn't to bad; you can fast forward text you've already scene by pressing the TAB key, and it will stop on new text. Sound/Music: The game has some minimal sounds such as when swords clash, which works well enough and doesn't detract from the scene. The game also has a limited soundtrack; nothing really shines, but it does fit the game well enough. Difficulty: Since this game is a visual novel, the difficulty wasn't to bad.. If you try to get all the achievements, it will take a little bit of time but certainly not impossible. Extras/Achievements: This game does have achievements for those who are completionist. It will also allow you make a special save that will be exported for the anticipated sequel. Recommendation: Would I recommend this? I would say yes but with the caveat that games of this isn't for everyone. It is a shame there isn't a public demo available.
Я впервые играл в эту новеллу ещё в сентябре 2020 года, когда она была только на довольно ранней стадии разработки, а Матиас был единственным обладателем спрайта, ещё рабочего варианта к тому же. Игра произвела на меня впечатление и я следил за её разработкой все эти годы, с нетерпением ожидая обновлений и, самое главное, финальной версии. Я провёл немало времени за разными версиями, каждый раз начиная с самого начала чтобы ничего не пропустить; пробовал новые варианты прохождения и искал нововведения в старых. И когда в марте этого года вышло завершение этой новеллы - не истории, ведь это только первая игра в серии - я сразу начал вновь в неё погружаться, безвылазно проведя в ней целый день. Когда в Стиме вышла наконец финальная версия новеллы со всеми доработками и дополнительным контентом (по сравнению с мартовской версией), я сразу же её купил, желая поддержать автора (к сожалению, Стим единственная платформа где у меня есть такая возможность на текущий момент). На момент отзыва у меня здесь показано мало наигранного времени просто потому что я хотел написать отзыв как можно раньше, не доводя игру предварительно до полного прохождения (всё-таки вне стима я играл достаточно много). Я очень люблю эту игру. Мне очень нравится эта история и я люблю персонажей в ней. Новелла вызывала у меня множество самых разных эмоций. Я не раз смеялся вместе героями над разными шутками или просто от того насколько они очаровательными. Я переживал за них. Я плакал, причём не раз. Игра неоднократно задевала струны моей души и цепляла за живое, затрагивая порой близкие и/или болезненные для меня темы. Мне очень нравится визуальный стиль. Музыка очень хорошо дополняет повествование и подчёркивает происходящее в той или иной сцене. Это прекрасная новелла и я с нетерпением жду продолжение. Впереди у меня ещё много перепрохождений в эту часть, разумеется. Я намерен вновь пройти игру разными способами и подготовить сохранения для новой части, а заодно собрать все достижения. И даже после этого я полагаю что ещё не раз вернусь в эту игру, просто потому что она мне очень нравится и я захочу вновь пережить те или иные моменты из неё (даже если у меня более 3 Гб скриншотов из неё на разных стадиях разработки). Пару слов о финальной версии, чтобы отметить некоторые отличия по сравнению с мартовским релизом из того что я уже увидел: - Ряд персонажей обзавёлся спрайтами. Рад за них! - Доработаны некоторые фоны. Игра стала ещё аутентичней. - Появился новый арт. Прекрасно, как и всегда! - Добавлено несколько дополнительных историй. Теперь можно ещё больше узнать о мире и персонажах. - Некоторые предложения в старых сценах были слегка подредактированы. Это усилило прежнее восприятие от этих сцен или придало им новый оттенок. - Некоторые сцены были заметно отредактированы (например, самая начальная сцена) или дополнены новыми диалогами. Освежает, иногда слегка удивляет (но в приятном смысле, как правило) и в целом вписывается удачно. Возможно, есть что-то ещё, что я упустил. Так или иначе, эти доработки ещё лучше раскрывают персонажей и порой обращают внимание на какие-то моменты/черты, которые раньше могли быть упущены из виду. В любом случае, это замечательная игра, в которой я могу делать выборы которые хочу и при этом всё будет ощущаться естественно и без притворства. В отличие от ряда других нелинейных историй, здесь не было нужды подстраиваться под игру и ориентироваться на результат. Можно просто отыгрывать желаемого персонажа и игра не заставит его чувствовать себя неадекватно; всё будет на своём месте благодаря системе характера у протагониста, а также (в главной степени) благодаря хорошей прописанности всего происходящего и в частности выборов и их последствий. Очень люблю эту игру. Спасибо автору за всё удовольствие, которое игра мне уже доставила и которое ещё доставит в будущем! Ждём продолжение!
Playing this game after all the bad VN on steam is truly a magical experience. With every hour you spend on it you can see more and more of how much thought and care was put into it. The story is deep and keeps you on the edge of your sit for the whole playthrough. All the characters including the dragon commander are beautifully written and the relationships between them change drastically based on all the choices you make. And speaking about the choices there is a TON of them which makes you so much more emotionally invested in their counsequences. Also the art in this game works perfectly for the atmosphere in it - just gorgeuse and mysterious. At last to all the people that made this game happen, thank you and please make II part soon because I already can't wait for it, but if you do then you better [spoiler] make DC and Mandra happy together in it or else I am gonna cry again. c': [/spoiler]
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Momentum
Pace estimated from the game's recent review growth (our daily snapshots) at its own sales-per-review ratio — a momentum signal, not booked sales.
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Estimated from the language of this game's reviews — a proxy for where players are, not official Steam demographics.
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| 3D ParticleGen Visual FX | $3.8K | 80 | 64% | $2.49 |
| The Glitch Prison | $3.8K | 61 | 34% | $3.99 |
| Starlight | $3.8K | 292 | 61% | $0.99 |
| The Office Void | $3.8K | 52 | 96% | $3.00 |