Reigns: Her Majesty is a strategy video game developed by Nerial and published by Devolver Digital. The game is a standalone sequel to 2016's Reigns. Set in a fictional renaissance world, it places the player in the role of a monarch who rules the queendom by accepting or rejecting suggestions from advisors. The game was released digitally for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Microsoft Windows in December 2017. Reigns: Her Majesty and its predecessor were released for Nintendo Switch, under the collective title Reigns: Kings & Queens, in September 2018.[1]
The base gameplay is the same as in Reigns, but instead of playing as a medieval king, the player assumes the role of a queen. The player swipes left or right on a card depicting an advisor, in order to accept or reject their suggestion. Each decision will have a consequence, changing the balance between the four pillars of the society: the church, the people, the military, and the economy. The queen's reign ends whenever one of the four metrics becomes too high or too low, and the game continues with the player controlling their heir.[3] There are between 1200 and 1300 different cards in the game, up from 800 in the original game.[citation needed]
Throughout the course of the game, the player may experience different kinds of events, which are scripted or caused by the player's decisions. Such events can have one-time or recurring effects on the game, such as causing the death of the next advisor if their suggestion is rejected.[3]
A new gameplay element in Reigns: Her Majesty is the addition of items. The player can collect items throughout the game, and use them in certain situations. Items can bypass the choices offered and offer new options.[3]
The game has been described as "smart and surprising" sequel[6] with "fun and minimalist" mechanics,[11] and an "improved and captivating story",[7] but critics have said that it suffers from repetition.[12] It has been compared to services such as Tinder because the player makes decisions by swiping left or right.[citation needed]
The Verge felt the game allowed experimentation throughout different lives, and liked how progress carried over through playthroughs, "Majesty does a remarkable job at making each life feel unique, and giving you enough information to feel at least somewhat in control of your destiny".[13]Kotaku praised the game's approach to approaching sexism, saying "Her Majesty isn’t one of those stories about women that’s meant to empower them by showing a rise out of adversity. It’s more a fun friend, laughing with you about all the irritating little things that happen to you when you’re a woman that other people sometimes don’t believe".[14]Game Informer disliked the gameplay, writing, "Her Majesty has a couple of interesting moments but largely follows the formula of the first game and fails to evolve into something special".[15]
