Solium Infernum

By: Derek Yu

On: December 9th, 2009

Now this is how I like to imagine Hell: filled with bizarre demons and monsters, yes, but also rife with nefarious politics_. Cryptic Comet’s Infernum.html">Solium Infernum is a turn-based strategy game where you control one of up to six archfiends vying for control of Hell. The goal of the game is to have more prestige than your opponents by the end of the game. Combat definitely plays a crucial part in this, but it’s only one of many ways to further your means. In fact, you can’t even engage another archfiend unless they’ve declared a vendetta against you, and goading them into one can be even more fun than fighting…

I’ve only played the demo myself, but the few reviews I’ve read seemed giddy about it, and I can see why – SI offers up a version of Hell that is as dark and compelling as any I’ve seen in a while (it reminds me of Wayne Barlow’s novel God’s Demon, which is a good thing). The theme lends itself really well to the strategy, which is as much about intrigue and political posturing as it is moving troops around. I also have to give credit to artist Matt Bradbury for doing a fantastic job on the flavor art in the game.

Solium Infernum can be played single player, although the AI feels a bit lackluster (this has been addressed somewhat in patches following the game’s release). Multiplayer is handled through hotseat or play-by-email (PBEM). If you’re a fan of turn-based strategy games, you should check it out. Here’s a handy (and entertaining) tutorial to get you started.

Time-permitting, I’d really like to take a closer look at the full version ($30) and try multiplayer. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen so far.

TIGdb: Entry for Solium Infernum

Posted in Strategy, Windows | Tags: CrypticComet

http://0xdeadc0de.org Eclipse

looks very cool, but lackluster AI, no campaign mode and a $30 price tag makes me pass on this one at least for now
MOK

Sounds a great game so will check out the demo but the multiplayer options are dissapointing.
Dodger

Picked this one up recently! The game has been improved through recent patches. The Multiplayer is as expected, it’s not an RTS so the Play by Email works very well. It is a 4X strategy game, but it’s an accessible 4X strategy game that doesn’t demand days to start picking up the pace. There’s a much friendlier pace to the game making it easy to pick up and play by a broader audience. The most significant aspect is that every game plays out in a different way. There’s no campaign because every time you play you’re playing a mini-campaign with really only one goal, seeking total control over all of hell. There are many different ways to approach your goal and a fair amount of random anarchy to keep the game fresh. The tutorial that Derek has linked to is extremely useful, especially for newcomers. If I had one gripe it wouldn’t be a gripe at all but while this game can be played by more casual indie game players that are fans of strategy, it does have a steeper learning curve, but that shouldn’t deter you of you enjoy a reading and want to try something new. The atmosphere certainly lives up to the theme and it makes for a refreshing experience in strategy gaming. I highly recommend giving this one a try, and it is a must buy if you’re a strategy game fan!
Raphael <3 Leonardo

I’ve always thought this game sounded like an underworld rip-off of ‘Dominions 3′ (not necessarily a bad thing – I’m not trollin’ here!)

Can anyone who’s played both please give me a comparison between the gameplay of ‘Solium Infernum’ and ‘Dominions 3’?
raigan

Really like the atmosphere/flavour!

Does anyone else find the sound-effect in the Orders menu a bit familiar? Sounds like Q3A metal footfalls..
sale.je,[email protected]

this game is amazing though i have only played the demo
KC

Impressed by the demo. Will buy the full thing as soon as winter break begins (damned finals, no pun intended). It’s truly a wonderful little game of distilled Lawful Evil.
Somberbrero

This game is really goddamn hard, even after reading the tutorial.
Dodger

@Raphael <3 Leonardo,

You don't have to worry, Solium Infernum is not like Dominions 3. The similarities are minimal... There's really nothing quite like SI, it borrows from other 4X strategy games in subtle ways but it is an original piece of gaming and the gameplay itself is unique. The "Story" and Theme of the game change the atmosphere of this type of strategy making it a refreshing strategy game experience. Any similarities with other games between politics, diplomacy, and tactical choices are refined in a way that melds with the SI game universe without redefining what a 4X strategy game is. I find it makes for an exclusive and rare gaming experience with familiar enough gameplay mechanics for strategy fans to appreciate and enjoy. Is Solium Infernum an easy game? Not exactly, it isn't hard to get into though either. I find that it requires less commitment than most other 4X strategy games that have a fair amount of depth to them.

So to answer your question, this isn't quite like Dominions 3, there are few similarities, but if you liked Dominions 3 you will probably enjoy and appreciate Solium Infernum. SI is also a much easier game to get into I find. It doesn't take as long to actually feel like your making progressive and influential choices in SI.

Hope that helps.
Problem Sleuth

It has come to my attention that *someone* here works for the development team that created SI…

My famous gut tells me that it’s Eclipse!
Problem Sleuth

Seriously, though:

I know advertising. It’s statistically produced better results (even in the indie world) to keep things short and snappy, rather than write out a wall of text explaining things.

Write out the features, but do so in a snappy bulleted list.

Example:

-Battle through legions of hell!
-Take political donations and stuff!
-Not like Dominions 3!
-(A lot like dominions 3, if that’s your thing!)

And there you have it.
This is a more effective way of communicating what you just said.

Still, it’s better to keep things snappy and under six words, so if you really wanted to be an effective advertizer, spam the forum with the simple and elegant message, which I have crafted specifically for your future use:

“This game good, buy it fucker.”

In closing: Pander to the lowest denominator and you’ll see sales figures rise. Also, change your game to something easier, like robot boxing or something.

Take my advice and you’ll do fine.
superflat

The name sounds like a spoof-Latin version of ‘Demon’s Souls’. That makes me want to play it.
Dodger

@Problem Sleuth,

Don’t follow your gut then, you’ll be wrong more often than not! I bought the game, playing the game entitles anyone to an opinion, I try to be constructive with my opinions and criticism. Quite simple really.

You might want to rethink your use of utilizing your instincts… cuz frankly, they suck and haven’t helped you thus far. ;-P

@superflat,

My latin sucks but I think it loosely translates to “Throne of Hell”. Demon’s Souls was an equally awesome game though (even though it’s a totally different kind of game). And of course, Demon’s Souls is as hard as a MoFo! I’m returning to many of the previous levels just to save up the souls required to level my character up… it’s a bit of a grind but it’s the most fun I’ve had grinding in an Action RPG ever.
yeah, but

@dodger – whether or not you work for Eclipse, you sure do write like a press release!
Dodger

@yeah, but,

unoriginal name you’ve got there – sure you’re not the same person as Problem Sleuth??? I think we’ve had this problem before.

Anyway, I tried talking about the game and why I like it. Feel free to skip my comments if they aren’t to your liking.
Problem Sleuth

I’m problem sleuth, and I can honestly say I am not trying to start anything! Also, I am not yeah but!
nullerator

Sheesh, Problem Sleuth, he just answered a question asked by another user. If the developer posted here, I think he’d use his real name.

As for SI, it’s definitely on my “want”-list, but it’s also on my “wait until the AI has been patched”-list.
ngajoe

Man, I *want* to like this game, I really do! I love boardgames, even more so than indie games. I own as many of those as I do video games, but this one is tough to get into!!
The interface is okay, but it bugs the hell out of me when I have to reference the rules mid-game from an external file to understand what certain attributes are, and what they do, and why I should care.
I wanted to like their earlier wasteland game too, but it suffered from the same problem (but it was worse–what got me there was that different types of cards used identical markings to note different attributes).
Would tooltips and cross-references be to much to ask? :'(
Steve

Agreed, ngajoe. This was my biggest complaint, too. I feel like this is an SSI gold box game, where I have to bust out a big manual to understand what the hell is going on.

We aren’t using 1.44″ disks anymore.
ECM

Hopefully it isn’t as dragged out as God’s Demon. (Great premise, but Barlow isn’t particularly adept at pacing.)
madrain

Agree with ngajoe. I tried to get into AE but it sits on my hard drive unplayed primarily because there wasn’t useful in-game help. If you make a really complex game, please, please take the time to pander to lazy gits like me with tooltips. There are so many good games out that it does not take me long to give up cross-referencing wikis and user created FAQs and play the games that I can just jump into.
Derek

I agree, it needs some contextual hints.
Derek

Also, @ECM: Yeah, Barlowe is not the best writer (that would be unfair if he could write as well as he paints!). But I thought the premise and world was pretty awesome and it made it up for me.
Dodger

Having contextual hints is a great idea. I’d like to see something along the lines of Windows tool tips or something. Whenever you drag the cursor over anything and leave it there for a second information on that item pops up in a little helpful bubble. I have read the manual, though I should read it again, but I think the contextual hints would greatly help newcomers. The game probably seems daunting at a glance from the average gamers perspective… I did enjoy Armageddon Empires very much so I kind of knew what to expect, though the game does play out very differently. Thinking back though I do wish there was contextual help for both games. It certainly wouldn’t hinder the gameplay at all and would probably appeal to a broader range of enthusiastic indie game and strategy game players.
kongming

“looks very cool, but lackluster AI, no campaign mode and a $30 price tag makes me pass on this one at least for now”

This is the dumbest criticism and it’s annoying that it gets to be the first (and thus most-read) comment.

Yeah, the AI could be better, but it’s basically a computerized board game; the point is to play with other people.

No campaign mode? WTF? A campaign doesn’t even make sense in the context of the game’s setting or rules. What the game has for single-player already is sufficient.

$30 is completely reasonable for an indie game with great design and artwork. Worse games with worse gameplay and art design are selling for $60-80 just because they came out on PS3 or 360.
Nillo

$30 might be a reasonable price, but it’s too much for me and I’m not buying it. Your argument that PS3 games cost more is irrelevant because both the PS3 and its games are notoriously expensive.

AI is important because it offers newbies a way to practice without ruining online games by playing badly. I would never have started playing DotA if the AI version was not available, for example, but I have now stopped playing with bots and made the switch to the real thing.
kongming

“$30 might be a reasonable price, but itâ€™s too much for me and Iâ€™m not buying it.”

This is not an argument. It’s barely even an opinion. You could start by telling us why $30 “might be … reasonable” but is still somehow too much.

“Your argument that PS3 games cost more is irrelevant”

No, it’s not…

“because both the PS3 and its games are notoriously expensive.”

… but even if it was, this statement hardly makes the case. Also notice that I said PS3 OR 360. You left out the second part. Hmm, I wonder why.

“AI is important because it offers newbies a way to practice without ruining online games by playing badly.”

And? There’s no reason you can’t do that with the AI in this game.
BAAL

Downloaded the demo and tried it. The art is stunning and the game looks really interesting. As other people have said, though, the lack of in-game help is a problem. Just a hint about what something does would help. And when I try to end a turn I keep being told that I have to respond to a message first. Fair enough, but… what message? Which one of the dozen unintuitive menu screens do I have to click on to find it? The interface needs a bit of work.

Also, as nice as the art looks when it’s sitting on the screen, it’s all very still. Why have a nicely drawn waterfall on the main map when it’s not even slightly animated? Two or three frames of animations wouldn’t be that hard, and would add a huge amount of visual life. Maybe the full version has a bit more.

The killer, though, is that the distributor only accepts $US, pounds and euros. I have no idea what would happen if I gave it my Australian credit card details, but I bet it’d cost a lot more than $30.
Evolve Some Pie

busy discord here if anyone ever wants a game :)
https://discord.gg/skqDffsE3A