The Dark Queen of Mortholme
A downloadable anti-game for Windows, macOS, and Linux
You are the Dark Queen—the most powerful being of your entire universe. Your lair is breached by an aspiring hero—a pitiful thing, easily crushed.
Except they keep coming back.
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A 20 minute anti-game about an unconventional relationship and the capacity for change.
English, Español, Español (LA), Français, Galego, Italiano, Português (Brazil), Pусский, Türkçe
The Steam port includes controller support and achievements.
Download
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Development log
- The Dark Queen of Mortholme coming to Steam!11 days ago
- Multilingual Mortholme82 days ago
- Another bug fix updateDec 17, 2024
- Post-release Bug FixesDec 10, 2024
Comments
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Played it and thought it. This story is not about the Hero and the Queen but about my whole life...
Something for when you leave the corpse to rot please? :3
I'm not sure if this is a bug or design but once the hero says that I am the one that faces the inevitable, no matter how much i reduced the usage of the skills before, or by using the skills in a way that is hard to dodge, eg in phase 2 use ability 2 in a way when the hero has just finished its jump up, then the chance of the hero jumping again is way lower and with some struggle he will fail to dodge even tho he says its inevitable he will win, what sucks is that even tho i managed to kill him 3 times after he says its inevitable, he only said that he was surprised i caught him, and for 3 loops, he had even better dodging (objectively) ands i got stuck in a loop where no matter what i respons between the 2 choices, the hero still stays strong no matter what, it seems like it has reached a state where no matter how many times i kill the hero, the hero will not give up
That's exactly the point, your defeat is inevitable
I wanna see them gib up >:3
Think I can nab a win from sheer dumb luck after like a hundred runs?
nah, the timings are made just so you can't win. If you focus less on the game and more on the actual timings of each action after you press the key, you'll notice that your character's reaction speed is nerfed heavily compared to the hero's. The hero dodges after you press the key, and before the attack reaches them. Another thing is that the hero's dps is too high for you to kill them in time, you can only tank attacks. There were a couple times when I was in fact surprised I damaged the hero - this was in the last stage of the game where we turn into the final form, I'd sometimes be able to deal a heart of damage to the hero by going in the corner and using 3. I suppose you could try that... but the game is hardcoded so you cannot beat the player - it's the whole point as the other guy said :P
superb!!!
Cara, que jogo bom!
Parabens!!!
Is there an ending were the queen gets the leave her thrown room and see the world?
This is so good, one of the best games I've played in a while.
the secret disrespect ending is amazing! love the interactions in this game, they feel so alive and not just like an npc but a real player
This was a very unique and interesting gaming experience!
An interesting and nuanced take on the classic trope of trying again and again against a boss, with the twist that you are playing as the boss trying to keep the hero at bay.
The story begins as a classic action-adventure story, but swiftly evolves to something more. This makes the game worth a 5/5 from me.
If you want a deeper take from my side, I have a review bellow containing spoiler to the experience and story.
----- Spoiler to gameplay and story -----
The mechanics are enjoyable but eventually pretty predictable. The fighting is not necessarily scripted to be experienced as an action-fantasy game since the Hero's reactions to your attacks are carefully designed to fit the pace of the story. Sometimes it feels like the Hero is "letting" you hit them, to serve and progress the story, plot points and pacing.
But this game is not designed to be an action-adventure game, it's a narrative game which explores the blooming relation between the Hero and the player's character, the undying empress of darkness. What started out as a classic action-adventure story and dialogue, effectively evolves to a deeper conflict of different personalities, questions of fate and the meaning of life. One could say the Empress biggest fear is the fear of change where the change renders her irrelevant, which is why she is so steadfast of being the Eternal Tyrant of Darkness.
This is a really good story and fantastic game. The comments in this review about the predictable gameplay should be seen more as an analysis and not as a critique. Really well done game, I look forward to see what else the creator is coming up with in the future! <3
For those interested, we are working with Mosu on bringing the game to Steam. Please see the Steam link in the bio above. Thanks!
that was awesome, i felt like i was reading a book, but you control the character, this was pure entertaiment
towards the end i expected the hero to walk in while burned the corpse of their previous run-through. Loved the game and there is so much left that could be done with the concept (but even if not it is already super impactful as is).
THIS GAME IS AMAZING, i swear, i only played it for like half an hour, but its the only game EVER except for minecraft that has left me speachless after i finished it, wich says a lot. Download this game RIGHT FRICKING NOW. The best free indie game ive ever played.
Ever heard of these things called light novels? They've got a lower bottom line than physical books (anyone could easily write a bit of trash), but this form of media also gives way more freedom and room to the author, so the peak can reach the level of cinema. Here's three titles, universally lauded. I do recommend exploring the genre yourself.
Mother of Learning
Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint
and
Lord of the Mysteries
'Speechless'? If I've succeeded in bringing you into the world of webnovels, start preparing for a final farewell with your voice.
Pretty cool game
So I was playing normally, and she just suddenly started dying just by getting close to me. Then it got stuck in a loop where nothing happened. I spent a few minutes trying again to see if anything would change, but no — it was the same dialogue and the same loop, with the hero just dying whenever she got close to me. Did I do something wrong? Was I supposed to die to her instead?
Excellent excellent!
Cool game idea and work out.
Few notes tho,
1) the enemy knows to respond to moves I haven't even used yet, bit of a downer. Would be more fun if they actually learned from what you have used
2) It'd be fun if you could leave the bodies laying around at some point and have an interaction on that. Maybe aditional when you do remove the bodies again.
I love this concept, and the execution is perfect. 10/10
Super touching <3
Great game bro
will the game be released on steam? I'm ready to buy it if it comes out
Yes! It has now been announced!
Will you work on the game after the steam release? I would really like to see more endings and interactions. Especially the hero walking in on her burning his corpse in a hug. Someone already mentioned that, I just so happen to also want that in the game.
Not in my current plans, no. I love each and every unexplored scenario players have come up with! But I'm happy enough to leave them as a space for your imagination to fill in, and continue working on my next game.
omfg such a good game! had so much fun!! tear a bit even . good job!
Absolutely awesome project!!! I thoroughly enjoyed it. The character writing was wonderful!!! I think the hero and the queen would make a great pair. ^_^
Seems like it was 28 minutes for me. Hero learned all moves so yeah gg. GOD game legit it wasn't just fun, it was amazing.
Brilliant! 10/10
Ougggh this broke my heart. The queen's eventual shift from just snapping the hero's body away to somberly embracing it killed me. Her ending is tragic, knowing she is not afforded the same change and freedom as the hero.
Another case of a game being literally art. 10/10
Downloaded the game and just opened it, but nothing happens when the game starts. It stays on the initial animation loop where a minion enters the room, but there's no dialog box, and nothing happens. I tried to download the game again and change the language, but it still locked me at the start.
eu adorei o jogo, muito bem feito, arte linda, tradução boa, ideia muito interessante, PORÉM...... Souls Like com PAUSE???? HORRIVEL, -40/10 >>>:(
I wish it was playable on browser
What can I say, that's true art
It's really a bomb. I've seen it in Tiktok for a long time, but now I decided to pass
increíble muy entretenido
Found out about this game from a Facebook reel. Just simply fantastic. My only complaint is that there isn't more. What a gem.
INCREDIBLE GAME! In a short gameplay, the conversations and the Queen's demeanor has rendered me to pieces ;;; excellent work I absolutely enjoyed that
Why no steam? Seen a youtube short about this game and went to steam for insta-buy
Since its 20 mins, would be cool to be able to play as 3-6 bosses, or just keep adding bosses/heroes over time
This would do numbers on Steam - hoping to see it there one day. All the best, great concept and art style
because it is a satire/parody of elden ring, and there are implications with selling it
This was such a fantastic experience! bravo
It's simply amazing how they flipped the script on the rogue-like genre. The dialogue feels like the characters while also letting the player feel in control of it. Short and sweet, it's a great example of an indi-game
I just played thisfor the first time and completed in under 20 minutes i think. However i think there are many endings to this but I haven't explored them yet but I hope to. I can say this was a fun experience. The dialogues were all well written and the pixel art looks good. I can recommend anyone to give it a try. Overall good game.