The Shrouded Isle

Mechanics

In The Shrouded Isle for PC and SWITCH, our basic responsibilities resemble those from classical economy simulation strategy games. Therefore, we have to properly balance four factors that ensure the town’s survival: food, shelters, faith, and secrecy so that the secret of the bloody cult is never revealed to the outside world. All of the above is played on a relatively small scale and in the text form. We cannot, for example, build new homes, while the town we govern will never transform into grand metropolis. Instead of thinking about development, we mostly focus on desperate attempts to keep what we already have.

The gameplay takes place in turns that correspond to seasons. In each one, our responsibility is to assign tasks to the selected townsfolk from five influential families to increase the abovementioned factors. Elements such as a family’s wealth and members, including the abilities and personalities of the latter, are generated procedurally. Thanks to this, we will have to deal with a different balance of power at every playthrough. The said families constantly compete. Should we omit one of them in particular, they will eventually rebel.

As each season comes, the player has to make a human sacrifice since only this can postpone the awakening of the ancient deities. When the time comes, we have to choose a representative of one of the families and let them die for the good of the entire population. This decision usually bears important effects because it changes the balance of power between families. The one that offered a sacrifice is also less effective at performing assigned tasks.

All of the above boils down to one fact: In Shrouded Isle, we cannot win. The plot, the atmosphere, random events, and the unforgiving gameplay mechanics only let the player postpone the ultimate failure.

Technical aspects

The Shrouded Isle offers very unusual graphics. It is entirely two-dimensional and features stylized character and level design that somewhat resemble Darkest Dungeon. Moreover, the visuals are bathed in rotten yellow and green which effectively emphasises the disturbing ambience of the game.