Long Live The Queen

It is not uncommon to see Long Live The Queen appear on lists looking at the best visual novels made with Ren’Py. However, I think putting this game just into the category of a visual novel is doing it a real disservice. What we have here is more of a simulation style game than just a visual novel and it is one of the best ones around. It has immense replay value and it is sure to make you smile and wonder what the heck is going on multiple times as you play through it.

40 Weeks Until You Are Queen

The plot of Long Live The Queen is that the great queen of the land of Nora has passed away. Her 14 year old daughter, is going to be the next queen, but she has to wait until her 15 birthday which is 40 weeks away. You get to shape her into being the right kind of queen, or she may die!

There are many ways that the story can go and that is what is so great. You will want to play the game over and over again to see what the different outcomes are. The presentation has a lot of charm to it, even if the game is showing its age a bit by today's standard.

A Well-Rounded Young Lady

One of the most surprising things about Long Live The Queen is just how deep the stats system in the game is. You have various stats in different categories such as social and physical, each one has multiple stats in it to work on. You do this by having her attend classes, converse with others, and so on. She also has a “mood” system at play which will change depending on how you have her act, what you have her do and say as well.

There is angry and afraid, cheerful and depressed, willful and yielding, and pressure and lonely. Depending on your actions, these will swing more one way than another. For example, if you are more willful you are more likely to be willing to go to war and fight, yieldful on the other hand has you acting more like a lady and being better at talking to people. Many people who play this for the first time are shocked at just how much “gameplay” there actually is in the game.

Give It Another Go!

One of the things that I like best about Long Live The Queen is the checkpoint and achievement system. This makes replaying the game just as addictive as seeing the different outcomes. There is a page that has a “have you” section that features such badges as, taken an arrow to the gut, drowned at sea, gotten too close to a sword, and many more for you to earn.

The checklist has a ton of things that you can do in the game such as being crowned queen, held a hostage to random, and broken off an engagement to name just a few.

Pros:

• It is one of the best visual novel/sim games I have played
• I loved how weird some of the outcomes could get
• There are many stats to work on improving
• I found the game to be very addictive

Cons:

• I think it is a game you either love or you just do not get
• The visuals are starting to show their age, maybe it is time for a remaster?