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...
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, since apart from not being particularly effective at that modest storytelling goal Heir to the Queen doesn't have much to say or offer to a potential audience.
Game: Heir to the Queen
Developed and published by 티민이*
*Best I can tell, it's meant to be pronounced something like "tea-min", but I'll confess to a non-existent understanding of the Korean language. So, you know, grain of salt and all that...
Release Date: August 3, 2025
Platform: PC
Players are put in the shoes of Yamu, a student of indeterminate age from Korea (presumably South Korea, though the game doesn’t specify) who just survived a devastating plane crash that took the lives of her parents, only to find herself stranded in Egypt… specifically, Ancient Egypt. Guided to a range of pyramids and ruins, Yamu is tasked with undergoing various trials in order to become the new queen of Egypt or else be condemned to death.
Now, one may find themselves asking if the game explains how a modern day child ends up in antiquity, and how compelling or interesting the explanation actually ends up being (for the record: "kind of" and "not really"). One might also wonder why I’m bringing up the logic of the setup at all when it should be the execution of ideas and the emotional stakes that matter more - a fair point, to be sure. I draw attention to it because the lack of care given to such a basic detail is symptomatic of how devoid of detail, purpose or care the broader storytelling proves to be.
Much of the problem can be laid at the feet of the slim cast of characters, as shallow and one-note at the start as they will be by the end. Yamu is barely a presence - she complains about missing home and there’s the obvious tragedy on her mind, but she really is mostly just The Player Avatar for much of the limited runtime. Her eventual companions hardly fare better; there’s a three-headed snake and a sentient slime creature, and they’re both defined by a bland helpfulness and desire for change that manifests the moment they meet Yamu.
It doesn't even feel entirely right to call this a story; things certainly happen with a vague sense of intent behind them, but it’s all so slight and unremarkable. Heir to the Queen only lasts about half an hour, so there’s not really time for any of the three (or an eventual fourth character) to develop beyond the surface impressions, though I question if more time in this sad excuse for a game setting would have made a difference. There’s just not much to the cast, nothing special about the world they inhabit, certainly nothing that hasn’t been done (and done better) in countless other video games or fiction in general.
For those still not deterred from giving this game the time of day, they ought to know that they're in for dirt-simple puzzle solving with limited exploration. The player guides Yamu from chamber to chamber - even if it’s outdoors, each new area feels like a closed room - and read the clue given by the save point. Taking that information, players must then scan the surrounding environment and make an educated guess as to the right path or interactive object. Success means getting to move on to the next room, failure means instant death and restarting the puzzle.
It is as mechanical and rote as it sounds. Go into a new room, sus out the solution, bolt for the exit, rinse and repeat. One can easily see how the basic structure could have worked - putting so much emphasis on deciphering clues and examining the area sets up the player to experience catharsis once they finally discern the answer - but it's undercut by the barebones execution at every turn.
Very rarely will the game break up this core rhythm with something different, but the result is always underwhelming and inexplicable. There’s a timed challenge involving chasing scorpions where players have to make use of the sprint button, an input that is not conveyed at any point before or after this puzzle. One puzzle involves hopping from path to path across water, except the player doesn’t even press a button to jump; they just walk as normal and Yamu automatically clears the gap. There’s even a final boss of sorts that initially requires running around and avoiding hits before suddenly getting the ability to fight back. Not one moment, not one puzzle, manages to rise above the level of mildly-irritating diversion built on obtuse logic.
The game's not helped much by an apparent lack of effort made to visually differentiate it from countless other independently-produced peers. See, Heir to the Queen was built in a version of RPG Maker, a development toolset that many game creators have relied upon to great effect for their adventure and role-playing games. Where those creators might have tried to put their own unique spin on a common template, however, the art assets on display here feel very stock standard; basic anime-esque character designs, stereotypical Egyptian iconography, and simple ground textures are the order of the day.
If it just stuck to those generic building blocks it'd be at least uniform in its mediocrity, but the developers seem to have neglected to consider consistency of tone. The game's visuals and audio skews towards a moderately fantastical setting, with glowing magic spells and exaggerated action sounds suggesting that this is meant to be a fun romp. Yet the grim subject matter and abundance of blood splatter and gore feel ripped straight from a horror game, creating a dissonance between the haunting narrative it seems to be aiming for and the unclear mess it truly is.
Heir to the Queen almost comes off like a test project made by someone still getting to grips with the game development process, except even that comparison suggests a more interesting creation with something to prove. I'd say I was baffled that anyone would look at this and decide something so empty and basic was ready for retail, but then I remember this is the era when any dipshit with $100 and a dream can stick something on Steam. To spend further time even thinking about it is to grant it more effort, more energy, than it deserves.
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