If you’ve followed the story of independent media outlet Second Wind even a little, then the prospect of this organization reaching a point of security and confidence enough to even host a games showcase likely comes as an impressive feat, if not necessarily a surprise. After all, we’re talking about a talented assortment of folks known for their thoughtful, even-handed coverage and love of games as an artistic and entertainment medium, called upon to help restore the reputation of once-esteemed games media site The Escapist. Had the corporate owners holding The Escapist’s purse strings not overstepped by firing editor-in-chief Nick Calandra, driving much of the staff to resign in protest, who knows what the future of The Escapist might have been? That the ex-Escapist crew are now in a place, a few years down the line, where they can comfortably offer the stage to other creatives within the industry is a magnificent sight to behold. It doesn't hurt that the resulting showcase, publ...
Even without knowing the term "isekai", you have probably at some point encountered a story or piece of media that follows its basic framework. A Japanese term meaning "another world", isekai stories deal with the notion of being adrift in a setting quite unlike one's own; they follow protagonists who are ripped away from a world much like ours and dropped into an unfamiliar place or time. Be it Edgar Rice Burroughs's depiction of Mars as a futuristic kingdom in the Barsoom books or the fantastical realm of Oz, the specifics matter less than the intent - to challenge the protagonist's preconceived notions and lead them to personal growth in the face of unexpected conflict. I lay all of this out for you because I think the intent with Heir to the Queen, a small-scale adventure game, was to hit the basic points of the isekai journey under the constraints of a threadbare budget and no larger media presence. That's speculation on my part, though, sinc...