Games worth discovering

Game of Thrones on your phone? Court intrigue game Yes, Your Grace is now on mobile

4K View2024-02-06

Yes, Your Grace

8.7

Pixel GraphicsRPGMedievalManagementSimulation

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SHOULD I PLAY YES, YOUR GRACE?

Check it out if you like choice-based games and court intrigue. Yes, Your Grace is a kingdom management RPG where you respond to requests from your loyal—and not-so-loyal—subjects. There aren’t enough resources to give everyone what they need, and that means making some tough decisions. If you’re a fan of Reigns or similar titles, you should definitely give this a try.

TIME PLAYED

I spent around six hours playing Yes, Your Grace on mobile, which was enough time to get through one playthrough. I’ve also played this title on Nintendo Switch, so it’s worth noting that it might take longer to complete a first-time playthrough. There are also plenty of branching paths, which gives the game a ton of replay value.

WHAT’S AWESOME ABOUT YES, YOUR GRACE?

• Excellent writing. At first, Yes, Your Grace seems like the simple tale of a struggling king, but the plot is far more complex than it appears to be. The story can go in many directions based on your decision, and the fallout of your actions always feels logical. Requests that seem unimportant often become crucial to the plot later on, which gives weight to every choice that you make.

Not only is Yes, Your Grace filled with unexpected twists, but it has a genuinely compelling cast. The story centers around King Eryk, his wife, and his three daughters, who are all lovable in their own ways. In addition to managing the kingdom, I had to navigate these familial relationships. Every character is well-written, and the emotional heft behind these interactions made them one of my favorite aspects of the game.

• Fantastic pixelated visuals. If you’re a fan of pixel art, you’ll love looking at Yes, Your Grace. Its colors are rich and vibrant, and every background is filled with detail. While the character models are fairly simple, the animations for these characters go along towards bringing them to life. I could feel the king’s love for his daughters every time he gave one of them a hug.

• Smooth touch-screen controls. Yes, Your Grace might be a mobile port, but it feels like it was designed for mobile devices. The touch-screen controls are simple and intuitive, which makes the game feel great to play. When I played on console, I thought that navigating the menus felt a little clunky, so this is a big improvement. If you’ve been thinking about checking this game out, the mobile version is one of the best ways to play it.

WHAT SUCKS ABOUT YES, YOUR GRACE?

• It can be really punishing. Yes, Your Grace frequently puts you into no-win situations, which might not appeal to every player. When people come to you with requests, they typically need an immediate response, so there’s no opportunity to scrape together the funds or supplies they need. It’s frustrating to have to turn down a reasonable request from someone I could have helped out if they were willing to wait a day or two.

Yes, Your Grace also tends to make you wait to feel the consequences of your actions. The outcome of a battle is usually decided long before the battle begins. Personally, I enjoyed seeing the long-term consequences of my decisions, but some players might not like being locked into a bad situation.

• Repetitive dialogue. Writing is one of Yes, Your Grace’s biggest strengths, but there were several times when I had to read through dialogue more than once. At the end of every week, I had the chance to talk with certain characters. The available conversations were marked on the map, but sometimes, characters didn’t have anything new to say. These conversations were brief, so it was a minor annoyance, but it still felt like a waste of time.