$39.99Solium Infernum Scheme for the throne of Hell
Outwit rival Archfiends in a slow-burn contest of diplomacy, ritual and betrayal where every move can be a trap.
Is Solium Infernum worth it?
Solium Infernum is worth it if…
- you like strategy games where reading people matters more than reflexes
- you want a competitive game you can play a few turns a day against friends
- you enjoy diplomacy, betrayal and deals that end in a knife
- you like slow, deliberate board games with a dark streak
- you prefer outsmarting real opponents over fighting a computer
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Politics, not conquest
You are not fighting for land. You are fighting for Prestige: fame, fear and respect among the Archfiends, and the throne goes to whoever holds the most when Hell decides the game is over. That changes everything. You demand tribute from a rival who cannot afford to refuse, then use the refusal as grounds for a duel their champion must accept or lose face. You insult a neighbour on the floor of Hell's parliament, rob them, frame them for crimes they did not commit. Sometimes the strongest move is a demand you know will be rejected. Every order carries lasting consequences, and second-guessing the other players matters more than any battle plan.
Scheming in your sleep
The asynchronous multiplayer is the heart of this game. Two to six Archfiends take their turns whenever it suits them, a few moves a day, so a full campaign of deceit unfolds over days rather than hours. That pace is the point: you get real time to weigh each decision, and to write messages. Alliances form, under-the-table deals get struck, and a betrayal lands in your inbox overnight. There is also live multiplayer in a single session if you would rather watch your friends' faces as they ruin you. The multiplayer has a steep learning curve, but the community around it is known for being patient and genuinely helpful to new devils.
A Hell painted in darkness
Every item, legion and Archfiend in the game comes with its own dark painting, and the result is striking: a gothic, Milton-inspired Hell of grim visions and oppressive atmosphere. It won the 2022 Game Makers Sketchbook for that art, and it earns the tag. The tone runs from dread to dry comedy, gallows humour included, because a game where devils file formal insults at each other knows exactly how absurd it is. League of Geeks, the studio behind Armello, rebuilt this from Vic Davis' cult classic of 2009, and the board game roots show in the best way: clean systems, deliberate turns, and the cold glory of a difficult decision.
Can you play it solo?
How does asynchronous multiplayer actually work?
You and up to five other players share a game, but nobody has to be online at the same time. Each player takes their turns when it suits them, so a match plays out over days in short bursts. There is in-game messaging, which is where a lot of the fun lives: alliances, threats and nicely timed lies.
Is it hard to learn?
The rules themselves are approachable, and the tutorial and singleplayer ease you in without a brutal curve. Multiplayer is the harder school: experienced players know tricks the AI will never teach you, and you mostly learn those by losing to them. The upside is that defeats tend to teach you exactly what went wrong.
What do you actually do each turn?
You command infernal legions on the map, including enormous Titans, enlist champion Praetors and bid for dark Artifacts, and cast rituals. Off the map you work the political side: demands, insults, duels and the favour of Hell's Conclave. Resources buy actions, so managing your economy is as important as any battle.
