Another video game titled The Conformist, also set in the Suzerain universe, is currently under development.[4]
Plot
Main story and setting
In the base game, Suzerain places the player in the role of Anton Rayne, the newly elected president of the fictitious Republic of Sordland. While nominally democratic, the nation is emerging from twenty years of authoritarianism under the regime of former president Tarquin Soll, as well as a severe economic recession under Rayne's predecessor, Ewald Alphonso. As president, the player must decide how to lead Sordland, navigating various structural problems and crises affecting the country amid increasing global tensions, in order to secure a second term in office.
The world of Suzerain is a historical parallel to mid-20th century Earth, shaped by the geopolitical rivalry between capitalist and communist superpowers in the global west and east. Sordland is presented at the start of the game as a non-aligned state, neighboring both western-aligned and eastern-aligned nations, as well as Rumburg, a bellicose monarchy with global ambitions of its own. The player can attempt to side with either the western or eastern faction, or try to maintain their neutrality.
Rizia expansion
In the Rizia expansion, the player assumes the role of Romus Toras, the newly ascended monarch of the Kingdom of Rizia. The country is rich in natural resources, such as gold and fossil fuels; but the kingdom is in a precarious state due to the ineffectual leadership of Romus’ late father, Valero Toras "the Frail", and the loss of two important territories. Gameplay thus focuses on the player attempting to correct his mistakes. The player also encounters several characters from the base game, including Anton Rayne; if the Sordland campaign is completed beforehand, the player can use their savefile to align the version of Rayne in the Rizia campaign to the one they created.
Gameplay
In-game screenshot
Gameplay in Suzerain is primarily based around character dialogue; the player interacts via read text with ministers, advisers, and other important figures in their attempt to understand the various situations affecting their country, followed by multiple-choice prompts for how their character might react. In Sordland, these decisions include major reforms to the nation’s constitution, pursuit of market-driven or centrally planned economic policies, and responding to security threats and public welfare issues as they arise. Family also plays a prominent role in the story, adding greater personal weight to the player’s decisions as they try to balance their responsibilities as head of state with their life at home.
The dialogue is supplemented by visual aids such as political maps, a constant feed of reports and newspaper articles, statistics for available budget and resources, and a library of informational briefs on the people, places, and history of the setting. The player also receives prompts for secondary decisions that, while important to the outcome of the game, do not require a narrative-driven deliberation.
The Rizia expansion adds an interactive war mechanic, enabling the player to build up their armed forces and directly mobilize military units via the map.
Endgame
Each campaign in Suzerain has multiple possible endings, including winning or losing re-election, winning or losing a war (the latter resulting in death), or being forcibly removed from power. The conclusion of the narrative is followed by a results screen, displaying the player’s final position in an in-universe political compass and a list of statistics detailing their accomplishments.
Updates and downloadable content
A major update, titled "Amendment", was released 31 July 2023. It added content and lore in the form of a number of scenes, several bills, and several hundred news events; the update was accompanied by information surrounding an upcoming DLC for the in-game country of Rizia.[5]
Suzerain: Rizia was released as Suzerain's first downloadable content on 25 March 2024;[6] the DLC was added to mobile, in addition to the 2.0 update, on 11 December 2024. Another major update to Rizia, titled "Sovereign," was released on 7 May 2025.
Suzerain was awarded the Deutscher ComputerspielpreisBestes Expertenspiel (Best Expert Game),[9] as well as the 2021 Games for Change People's Choice Award, and was recognized as a "Most Innovative" nominee.[10][11] Unfold Games Awards also awarded the game with an honorable mention.[12]
Suzerain received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregatorMetacritic.[7]Rock Paper Shotgun noted the game world as impressively detailed and called it an overall "superb" game.[13]PC Gamer noted it as a "fascinating" and "truly unique" game.[14]Vice.com said the game has "sharp historical insight and commentary on the politics of today."[15]Oyungezer gave the game a positive review, praising the world building, character designs, and the replayability; but also noted the tutorial and user interface could be better, and called the music repetitive.[8]The Escapist said the game "[...] makes for an interesting and emotionally taxing experience".[16] In 2024, PCGamesN listed Suzerain as one of the best political games on the PC.[17]
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