Hell-set strategy game Solium Infernum has a new trailer out, showing off the first look at gameplay in the upcoming strategy game remake about conquering your demonic rivals to become lord of hell. It’s a world where the Great Dark Majesty has disappeared, so controlling an Archfiend you’ll have to politick, fight, and cast magic until your rivals are defeated and you’re the new lord of the bad place.
Solium Infernum’s trick is that while you can muster and hire champions to fight against your rival archdemons, or cast magical spells against them, the ruler is decided by the evil bureaucracy of Hell’s capital, Pandemonium. That means you’ll have to use at least a measure of diplomacy and scheming—both game systems in their own right—to claim a victory.
Another neat thing about Solium Infernum is that it uses simultaneous resolution, meaning each player plans their turn, but the game executes them all at the same time. That means you’ll see some wild single-session or asynchronous multiplayer games for 1-6 players. (As an aside, it’s nice to see asynchronous play—the ability to take your turn and let everyone else do the same before coming back the next day or a few hours later.)
Solium Infernum will have eight archfiends to play as, each of which “has their own unique powers and demonic assets – strongholds, legions and champion praetors – at their bidding.” Each archfiend also has their own skill trees to customize their powers, becoming better at a particular aspect of the game.
Solium Infernum doesn’t have a release date yet—it’s listed for now as coming soon. It’s developed by League of Geeks, who you may know as the creators of excellent digital board game Armello (opens in new tab). If the name Solium Infernum sounds familiar, that’s because the original version was first released in 2009 by developer Vic Davis/Cryptic Comet, who also made Armageddon Empires. Davis has since retired from videogame design, but League of Geeks is taking up the mantle of his hellish vision for this remake.
You can find Solium Infernum on Steam (opens in new tab). League of Geeks previously dropped a cinematic trailer when they announced the game, and that’s pretty cool, so go ahead and watch that on YouTube (opens in new tab) or embedded below.