Slay The Princess: A Game About Bad Choices

There's more than one way to slay a princess

PART I | PART II

Voice of the Analyst

You are reading an article on the internet. In that article, a man stands at a podium, wearing a loose-fitting button-down that is too tight in the collar. He clears his throat and consults his notes.

Slay the Princess is a visual novel horror game released by two-person development team Black Tabby Games on October 23, 2023. The premise is simple, as spelled out by the narrator in the game’s opening lines:

You’re on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is a princess. You are here to slay her. If you don’t, it will be the end of the world.

Like most visual novels, Slay the Princess tells its story through heavy narration supported by static backgrounds and character portraits — rendered in beautiful grayscale by artist Abby Howard.

The game gives players an unprecedented amount of choice in shaping its simple narrative, creating a branching network of story paths that lead to over a dozen unique endings. The player is allowed to question the Narrator, who is reluctant to expound on the premise in any meaningful way, and may choose to follow the Narrator’s guidance or ignore it.

Much of the game plays out as a dialogue between the player, the Narrator, and the player’s inner voice, called the “Voice of the Hero.” The Narrator and the Voice — both acted by the incredibly talented Jonathan Sims — have strong personalities, leading to many humorous exchanges.

The game’s first chapter takes roughly half an hour to complete, and contains many twists and turns. To say any more would be to spoil the experience, so if the premise interests you, I suggest you try it for yourself. The game is available on Steam for $18. A single play-through takes two to three hours, though discovering all of the games secrets may take as many as ten.

The voice of the man on the internet fades. The man himself follows soon after, both he and his too-tight collar vanishing into thin air.

This one is full of facts. He speaks to the human mind, but cannot change it. He asks that you subscribe to this newsletter. You won’t.

Voice of the Gamer

You are reading an article on the internet. In that article, a man crouches gargoyle-like on a chair. He is leaning in way too close. A dot of foam is forming in the corner of his mouth. In his hands he holds a physical copy of Slay the Princess, a digital-only game.

Slay the Princess is an awesome game for completionists! I love exploring every route and uncovering every hidden line of dialogue in a game, and Slay the Princess has both in spades!

The first chapter has a super-simple premise, right? But there are TEN different ways it can end! You can refuse to even approach the cabin, and that’s an ending! Then if you go to the cabin, there’s a knife inside and you can choose to pick it up or leave it.

Once you are in the basement, the Princess’s personality will completely change depending on whether you have the knife or not! Either way, you have the choice of slaying her, freeing her, or simply walking away and locking her in the basement. Just these handful of choices lead to nine possible endings!

That’s when you discover the twist! It’s all spoilers from here on, so if you want to go in blind, this is your last chance.

Okay, good? So, no matter what you choose to do, you die in the cabin. And then you immediately wake up again on the path in the woods.

You’re on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is a princess. You are here to slay her. If you don’t, it will be the end of the world.

You’re now in Chapter 2. The setup is exactly the same, but the details are all different! There’s a new voice talking in your head alongside the Voice of the Hero, and that voice changes depending on your previous actions!

The cabin is different too, and the Princess...oh, the Princess. She COMPLETELY changes depending on how Chapter 1 ended. If you rescued her and did everything you could to save her, she becomes “The Damsel,” a doe-eyed sweetheart that will go along with anything you say. BUT! If you fight her, and you both end up dying from your wounds, she comes back as “The Adversary” a hulking, demonic brute that only wants to fight you until the end of time!

There are more than a dozen Princesses in the game, and each of them is shaped by your choices! It’s brilliant! It feels like your decisions have consequences, and it is super fun to see all the different interactions that come about as a result!

A dozen spectral hands appear in the air around the man on the internet and begin to pull him towards a vast and endless void.

Wait! I haven’t even told you the best part yet!

The man on the internet disappears. The last thing you hear him say is something about “ludonarrative dissonance,” whatever that is.

This one is enthusiastic, but his thoughts are shallow. He cannot name his feelings, only point at their symptoms. He asks that you leave a comment on this article. Perhaps you will.

Voice of the Twisted

You are reading an article on the internet. In that article, a man stands in a dark room, illuminated from below by a weak flashlight. He grins in a way that he thinks is off-putting. It is, but not in the way he intends.

Slay the Princess is a horror game about change. Every time you think you know what’s going on, it shifts before your eyes, leaving you in the dark. The game covers every genre of horror you can think of: psychological, monster, body, existential, eldritch…

The Princess is not a princess, obviously. But you’re not exactly human yourself. The game is from your perspective, so you never really see what you look like. But the first time you reach out to touch a mirror, slay the Princess, or defend yourself from her assault, you will notice that your hands are scaly talons, a few feathers dotting your arm. This talon, you realize, is the game’s cursor, hiding in plain sight.

No matter which route you take, no matter how you deal with the Princess, it always ends with a mass of hands pulling her into oblivion, leaving you alone in the void.

There is a mirror here. The voices in your head tell you not to look, but you must. Beady eyes shine in a grotesque face. It is you.

Then you meet Her. She who is without form. An incomplete soul who has taken the Princess into herself to gain her perspective. She asks you to gather more, grant her new perspectives. You agree, for what else is there to do?

The game begins again, only this time, you are not here to save a world that you will never see. You are here to shape the Princess, to see what she is capable of, and to bring new perspectives to She who waits within the Long Quiet.

You’re on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is a princess. You are here to slay her. If you don’t, it will be the end of the world.

How will you shape the Princess? You can try to save her, if you have not already. But there are only so many ways to save a person.

There is always violence.

There are stabbings. There are nightmares in dark places and harsh whispers. There is blood, dismemberment, and an unraveling of organs. Death has no meaning for either of you, that much is clear. Violence here is without consequence.

What drives you? Curiosity? Hope for a better ending? Maybe you just want to forget the Long Quiet, the knowledge that you are, at the end of things, alone.

There is only you, the Princess, and the voices in your head. The Narrator tells you that there is a real world with real people who really will suffer if you do not fulfill his commands. But is that true? Do you care?

The game disturbs, not only with its blood and gore and non-Euclidean edges, but with the existential dread that it plants inside of you. Do your choices matter, really? Does your violence define you? Who are you when all is said and done?

The flashlight flickers out. The room is plunged into darkness. You feel the presence of the man on the internet vanish. You are alone.

This one is fascinated with taboo. He seeks to break, but has forgotten how to create. He asks that you buy him a coffee, but believes that you will not.

Voice of the Author

You have just read an article on the internet. The man there stands around awkwardly. He has something to say, but feels embarrassed to say it.

Hey. So, this was supposed to be a simple article about a cool game I really liked, and then it turned out I had a lot to say about it. So one article has turned into two articles, and next week will be part two. I’ve got a couple of cool things lined up after that, so look forward to it! See you next week.