🎮 Are you sick of being the hero? The Dark Queen of Mortholme is a brilliantly subversive take on the Soulslike genre that asks what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a hero’s endless resurrections. As the titular Dark Queen, you’re not just powerful, you’re almost comically overpowered, with multiple forms — yes, you get to flex the dreaded final boss second form — and disproportionate HP. But these advantages set up the game’s most compelling psychological element.

(Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to external sources.)

It’s lonely at the top. The genius of the game lies in how it transforms the familiar Soulslike loop into something more emotionally complex. Each time the AI-controlled hero — he’s no regular NPC — returns, they learn and adapt to your patterns, much like a real player would in games like Elden Ring or Dark Souls. The hero’s persistence creates a fascinating dynamic where you, the villain, begin to develop an unexpected emotional connection to your would-be destroyer.

The game communicates character development through subtle mechanical changes. The death animations evolve over time, from cruel to almost respectful, reflecting the Dark Queen’s changing relationship with her adversary. Meanwhile, the hero remains trapped in their cycle of death and improvement, unaware of the impact they have on their seemingly immortal opponent.

The combat system is more nuanced than you may realize at first. While you possess overwhelming power, the game introduces interesting tactical choices: do you reveal all your moves, knowing the AI will learn from them? Or do you hold back, limiting the hero’s ability to adapt, but potentially making your encounters less interesting? These decisions add a strategic depth to what could have been a simple power fantasy.

The short runs work particularly well in this context, creating tight narrative arcs that encourage multiple playthroughs to explore different relationship dynamics and endings. While there are occasional technical hiccups with hitbox registration, they rarely detract from the overall experience.

💯 Rating: 9.5/10

⌛ Hours of gameplay: 20 minutes per run

🔁 Replay value: 10/10

👾 Platforms: Itch.io (Windows | Linux | Mac)

💵 Price: Available at no cost

Tags: