Armello devs' new multiplayer strategy game in hell captures tabletop treachery like no other

It took all of one turn before the insults started flying in our Solium Infernum multiplayer preview session this week. Specifically, they'd been launched straight into the court of League Of Geeks co-founder and studio director Trent Kusters, who was attempting to show us how the game's asynchronous multiplayer mode worked in a six-player match-up - the public playtest for which goes live today, Thursday January 11th, over on Steam. Moments earlier, he'd been walking myself, deputy editor Alice Bee and guides editor Ollie through the basics of this strategy game from hell, telling us about the importance of claiming territory, seeking out places of power to bolster our domain, and how to do battle with our hive-like legion units. But just as we were watching our individual turn orders play out, Kusters announced that Ollie had given him the digital equivalent of a demonic slap in the face, demanding he pay tribute to him, or else…

To his credit, Kusters took it with good humour. "This is the beautiful thing about this game - it's petty high school politics in Hell," he said laughing before graciously deciding to accept the insult at the cost of some of his prestige - the all-important hallmark of how you're perceived within this conclave of warring demons fighting for Satan's empty throne. Personally, I think Ollie's insult would have pierced my exceedingly thin skin instantly if I'd been in the same position, and I'd probably have been torn between declaring a vendetta against Ollie's unjustified affront, or challenging him to a Praetor duel to exact some (hopefully) righteous vengeance. Alas, since we were literally only a turn into this game, none of us were in any position to make good on those options, leaving the only possible outcome as eating it and moving on. It was a smart move on Ollie's part, and one that makes me both terrified and excited to see how our own team multiplayer sessions will play out in the run-up to Solium Infernum's full release on February 14th.

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