Solium Infernum Reviews

Hail the horrors! I don't normally play 4X Strategy games, but this one grabbed me. Being that it's inspired by John Milton's Paradise Lost, consider me enthralled, because that's my favorite book! Solium Infernum has incredible art and music, and the gameplay is quite addicting. It's actually very simple, and the tutorial is helpful enough, even though I still lost the match. It even has a full encyclopedia in-game, which is useful, but Wikipedia is your friend too. There's so many options it can be a bit overwhelming since you are limited by your money and actions, called tribute and orders, respectively. It would be cool if this game gets a physical tabletop version made, because I would totally get it!!

Very nice turned-based virtual boardgame. Not quite 4x, but will scratch that itch. The atmosphere is great, there is a dazzling amount of viable strategies, and the game is complex enough to presents a challenge even against the AI (although I have easily won every game so far). The format restricts the amount of actions per turn, which forces a quick gameplay and allows to end each game within 2-3h. I only played single player so far, but Multiplayer must be insane, with all the sneaky ways to sabotage even the best strategies! Only problem is a recurring UI bug that forces me to reload my game several times per session, but luckily the loading is fast. I can see how it could be too irritating for some people though.

Such a great and amazingly deep game. Absolutely epic every time I play. Such a faithful yet fresh remake of the original.

Hidden gem. I don't know how much of the games ideas are unique and how much is taken from the old game, but it reminds me of the golden age of gaming, when games were art and not products, when devs made experiments and came up with wild ideas.

It's a strategy game that's not quite a 4x, with a bunch of interesting mechanics and none of the mid/late game bloat that comes with that genre. The setting and characterization is pretty awesome, my only complaint is that the dull grey lifelessness of hell gets a little boring and I don't see the point of the different maps.

This is like the grown up version of Armello. I love the soundtrack and style, but the game is slow and deliberate. Expect games to take a minimum of 2-3 hours with 'fast' vs ai matches, and *potentially* much longer for group PvP (4+). Despite other reviews of 'random chance', it is a factor but not a deciding factor. It is NOT a CIV game, it is not a city builder, it's a turn-based strategy games with a handful of win conditions and various means to get there. It's not a war-game but a system centered around political intrigue and planning. The closest comparison I can make to the 'feel' of this game is ROOT in both its asymmetric elements and the broader VP conditions, and variety of play-styles. -- I think the people who struggle with 'randomness' or losing a special unit here or there fail to adapt or utilize any sort of come-back mechanics. -- Scenarios teach you how to sort of push a bad situation into a better one, and I recommend those for a challenge and better grasp of the archfiends.

If you are looking for a fantastic asynchronous multiplayer game look no further. With interesting systems and multiple paths to victory there's a lot to like here. Limited actions and deep decisions make every turn feel momentous. Crack open your copy of Paradise Lost and The Screwtape Letters and enjoy a conquest of Hell with some fine friends, who will soon be your enemies.

An excellent fast paced 4x with better diplomacy mechanics than nearly any game in the genre. Threatening war, outbidding for legions, and playing mind games are just a few of the amazing features. The fact that one full and fulfilling game can be played in a single night is also a major plus when comparing this to some of the other contenders in the genre.

I really wanted to love Solium Infernum. As many have said, it's a board game-esque grand strategy game with incredible visuals, soundtrack, and a really intriguing concept. As someone who plays a lot of board games (especially grand strategy games like Eclipse, TI, SE4x, HOLAS, etc), I was all in when it was announced. Unfortunately, I soon discovered that if I treated SI like a board game... I hated it. The game rewards gambling on chance over good strategy at every possible venture. You just saved up for a big unit? Someone got a random, cheap event to kill that unit. You've taken 3 tribute actions in a row? Sorry, you didn't randomly get enough of the one resource you needed, so you can't buy anything. I love the idea behind what the game is doing but, unfortunately, every time I think the game is doing something cool or interesting, it craps on itself by introducing some large element of randomness or is overly punishing. It calls itself a "grand strategy" game, however you could never feasibly plan beyond 1-2 turns due to the extreme variability baked into the games mechanics (resource gain being a random draw is the most egregious imo). Overall, I just wanted more from this game than it offers. Most of the game feels mean purely for the sake of being mean and there is rarely any decent payoff for pulling off a long term scheme. The balancing is all over the place and you will often find yourself getting punished for things you had no control over or no way to properly plan for. However, the aesthetics are fantastic and obviously many people enjoy this game, so if large amounts of chance draws and extreme swinginess don't bother you, than i'm sure you'll enjoy this game. I personally don't think it's anywhere near as strategic as it makes itself out to be.

In every other strategy nation esque game I have ever played, diplomacy was nothing more than an excuse to kill the AI or a way to stop the AI from attacking your rear while you focus on the other AI in front of you. Diplomacy feels actually relevant in this game. Also turns are better. 10/10 good shit.