The unconventional Chinese indie game Sultan’s Game achieves 250,000 sales on Steam during its first week.

      Credit: Double Cross Studio

      The Chinese indie game Sultan’s Game achieved 250,000 sales on Steam within its first week, as announced by developer Double Cross Studio on Tuesday. Along with a celebratory illustration, they revealed plans for ongoing updates. Since its launch on March 31, the game has rapidly gained popularity among Chinese gamers.

      Why it matters: Taking place in an ancient Middle Eastern sultanate, this strategy role-playing game intertwines themes of power struggle, desire, and human nature, addressing sensitive subjects such as “sexual power” and “same-sex emotions.” It distinguishes itself from the conservative narratives typical in many Chinese games and marks the first prominent single-player title from China this year.

      Details: Sultan’s Game features a blend of card-based strategy, role-playing, and narrative adventure. Created by Double Cross and published by 2P Games, the game is priced at RMB 80 ($10.88) in China, with an introductory price of RMB 72 ($9.80) for the first two weeks.

      Set in a fictional medieval palace, players take on the role of a minister serving the sultan, who is compelled to participate in a brutal card game designed by a mysterious sorceress. Under her spell, the sultan orders the player to draw one card each week from four categories: “Lust,” “Luxury,” “Conquest,” and “Slaughter,” and to complete the related task within seven days.

      Drawing inspiration from the narrative style of One Thousand and One Nights, the game offers branching storylines where every choice is significant. Interactions with certain NPCs can affect the ending or unlock hidden story arcs. Players can experience multiple endings based on their decisions, leading to outcomes such as becoming a trusted minister, inciting a rebellion against the Sultan, or summoning dark forces.

      The game has received favorable reviews from players, praised for its extensive 1.4 million-word script and over 50 unique endings, currently holding a Steam rating of “Very Positive” with a 90% approval rate. The game includes gay romantic storylines, featuring flirtations and relationships between male characters, which some players in China find controversial. In an interview with TechNode, a player known as Light Shadow expressed comfort with the male interactions but noted the game’s main drawback as its repetitive daily events. Players must frequently navigate similar tasks like patrolling, training, and trading with minimal variation and no automation options, he elaborated.

      “The combination of random and fixed events, along with the freedom to develop your character, greatly enhances the replay value,” he stated. “However, the high-level card tasks can be excessively challenging. Drawing an impossible task early on can significantly detract from the experience.”

      Context: Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower published its 2024 ranking of the top 50 global mobile app publishers by revenue on Tuesday, featuring several Chinese companies. Tencent maintained its position at the top for the third year running, bolstered by popular titles such as Honor of Kings and PUBG Mobile, in addition to value-added services within the WeChat ecosystem. The multiplayer online battle arena game Honor of Kings alone generated $2.42 billion in mobile revenue for Tencent last year.

      NetEase secured the seventh spot, attributed to successful games like Eggy Party, while miHoYo occupies the 15th position, owing to its anime-style hits such as Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail.

      Jessie Wu is a tech reporter based in Shanghai, covering consumer electronics, semiconductors, and the gaming industry for TechNode. Reach her via email: [email protected].