Solium Infernum Review (PC)

Even a powerful Archfiend can’t have it all. I really want to get a new legion and, in a perfect Hell, attach a capable Praetor to boost its combat effectiveness. There’s a spell that would be nice to cast, targeting my biggest rival to maybe take some Prestige away. I plan to insult another of the Demon Lords, hoping that it will lead to a vendetta, and that means my existing legions also have to move.

The problem is that, while our evil nature cannot be contested, our administrative system isn’t extraordinary. So, I’ve been pushing to get the resources to upgrade my Prophecy, which Lilith excels at, to level four. This will give me three actions to work with, one of which I plan to mostly spend on extra tribute demands. I expect to be in two Vendettas in five turns or so and I really need to use my rituals to keep enemies weak.

I do have control over two places of power, which means it’s not a catastrophe if I lose one of them. My current scheme requires me to push to Princess level, which requires quite a bit of precious Prestige. My plan is to wait, root enemies in place, hope they like fighting each other and bid for a new Legion that can augment my strength.

Solium Infernum is developed and published by League of Geeks. I played it on Steam on the PC. The game offers a turn-based strategy experience where deceit is as important as force as players try to become the rulers of Hell.

+4more

It’s a great premise and the title’s universe is fascinating. Satan has vanished and all the archfiends are planning to replace him. Hell might be a place for eternal torment, but it also has a ton of rules, which means they cannot simply enter a full melee and see how is strongest. To rule Hell, players become powerful demons and must play politics, dominate a bureaucracy, and sometimes do battle.

In this new take on Solium Infernum, players do not create their own character. Instead, there are eight characters, ranging from Astaroth the Dragon Knight to Andromalius, the Fairest of the Fallen, to Beelzebub, named Lord of the Flies. They are designed to encourage different play styles and each has an associated bespoke challenge scenario, very useful when learning the game.

The tutorial gives players extensive info on the game, while Belial, Prince of Lies, provides commentary and hints. The game’s writing is good, shows off the theme, and is sometimes funny, underlining the weird rules that the Archfiends have chosen for their hellish competition for dominance.

Solium Infernum is a turn-based game centered on the judicious use of a small number of orders. There are a lot of things the demon lords can do but they are always limited by their under-developed bureaucratic apparatus. Each turn, the conclave has a regent who acts first, a significant advantage when it comes to both combat and the more complex schemes.

Everyone starts off at the same rank, with a keep and one infernal legion. Move it across a hex and it becomes controlled territory. Use it to attack places of power and defeat their defenders to generate Prestige. Combat has three phases (ranged, melee, and magical), and it is important to enhance legions with leaders called praetors and stratagems to make every engagement as unbalanced as possible.

But legion-driven battles tend to be rare in Solium Infernum and Prestige can be obtained by diplomacy and subterfuge. Archfiends have so many more ways to gain Prestige and hurt their rivals. They can demand tribute using the diplomacy screen. If refused, a vendetta starts, to be pursued using legions or the praetors. If accepted, resources exchange hands. They will hurl insults or execute more specialized diplomatic actions.

Play Video

Long-term strategy is built around Prestige-winning schemes, to be executed in the light of hellfire or in private. Each Archfiend has access to rituals tied to his chosen powers. The more powerful ones are worth more than a good legion but require plenty of tribute. Always keep an eye on what’s available in the Bazaar and try to snatch artifacts or manuscripts that fit a particular approach.

The original version of the game was launched in 2009 by Cryptic Comet, aka Victor Davis. Anyone who loved it will probably have fun with the modern one, although the more hardcore players will miss the customized Archfiends. And the 2024 version offers extra content and makes it easier to learn and master the mechanics.

Still, it takes time to get a clear idea of how the various potential actions work, how they can affect the player and others, and how they synergize. There are moments when the action seems slow, even when players choose to skip enemy turns. But the investment of time and energy is worth it.

Solium Infernum’s variety of characters and mechanics makes it fun in single player. But this entire experience truly shines when other humans are involved. The multiplayer mode allows players to get into normal six-player sessions or to engage in asynchronous matches, which work well with Steam’s notification system and give players more time to prepare plans and scheme with one another.

Solium Infernum conjures a good-looking universe, one that commits to its Hellish theme and drapes its archfiends in oodles of style. The three levels aren’t very visually pleasing but everything else, from the bazaar to rituals to diplomacy, is filled with cool visual touches. This style overload does not negatively affect the interface, which gives players a clear reading of their status and allows them to dig in to get details as they plot their next move toward the throne of Hell.

The game’s Encyclopedia, covering gameplay concepts and lore, is well-designed and I referred to it constantly as I learned the mechanics. The sound design is immersive, although the music can become repetitive after a while.

+4more

The Good

The Bad

Conclusion