Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit

It’s difficult for me to say this, especially with so many positive elements in the game, but I found Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit to be mediocre. It doesn’t do anything inherently wrong, but there is nothing very memorable about it either. My lasting impression is that the game played it too safe and colored too neatly inside the lines. Clearly, a lot of love, effort, and resources went into creating this game. I wanted to adore it, but I have no interest in playing any future games in a hypothetical Crowns and Pawns series. I suppose players looking for a classically-styled point-and-click game will definitely get something out of it, but it’s not a game I would recommend buying unless it’s on sale.

Crowns and Pawns is a high-quality game that impresses in many ways by embracing the best of classic point-and-click design. There is even replay value, as different decisions lead to different puzzles-something noteworthy, indeed. Interesting reading and easter eggs to other genre classics are the icing on the memorable cake. Don't let some user interface issues detract, as this is an adventure worth seeing through to the end.

Overall I’d say I am on the fence with Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit. For a seasoned Point-n-Click gamer, this is one that I’d skip, as you’d likely get more enjoyment elsewhere. But if you are someone new to the genre or newer to gaming in general, it will be a good introductory game to learn the mechanics and the relative pathway these games usually take. (Once you get past some of the less engaging parts and the corny dialogue anyway.)

A mix of old-school point-and-click adventure beats mix with modern productions values and polish to make for a good time

Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit is a plucky point-and-click adventure featuring some witty dialogue. The game presents itself in a lovely art style, which really highlights the beauty of the background locations. Overall, the title should take around 3-5 hours to complete. I can recommend this title. You can pick up Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit here. Also, the title is currently on sale in the Nintendo e-Shop until 5th October 2023.

Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit certainly boasts good reviews not only from critics but also from players themselves; personally, however, I just couldn’t quite get the hang of it. Of course, I agree that it’s not exactly a bad game—its historical elements are very well integrated—and I truly appreciate the developers’ effort to teach players something new in an entertaining way. But who knows, maybe I’m one of the hundred people this game didn’t really appeal to. A hundred people, a hundred tastes.

The smaller project mostly gets positive reviews, and in many respects they have to be right: it's not a flop. But at the same time, we don't have the honor of having an adventure that we will remember.

Although ending feels a bit rushed, 9 hours I spent adventuring with Milda was pure joy. Crowns and Pawns perfectly manages to combine classic point and click adventure gameplay with modern look.

When it's good, Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit is really good. This love letter to Broken Sword and Gabriel Knight-style point-and-click adventures looks great, explores a part of world history that has rarely been touched, and offers plenty of great puzzle-solving that will make you feel like a modern Indiana Jones (or Robert Langdon). At its worse it fails to immerse players into its world, or seems keen on annoying players through puzzles that will test one's patience. Thankfully, while Tag of Joy's creation is very rough around the edges, it mostly leans towards the fun side of the scale.

Those who were looking for a new and remarkable adventure game, do not need to look further.