A Tale of Crowns
Chapter Twelve has been released!
A Tale of Crowns is a high fantasy romance with Middle Eastern roots, both on pc as well as mobile! It’s entirely text-based, with choices throughout to shape both your main character’s personality and skills as well as influence their relationships with others. There are four love interests for you to choose from, both female as well as male, each with their own stories and secrets for you to uncover!
I will release each chapter as I finish it, so the game will be a continuous work in progress. It will not be available for download until the entire game is finished.
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CONTENT WARNINGS: Depictions of violence, injuries and blood, death, trauma, psychological and physical body horror, sexually suggestive content and descriptions of animal cruelty. Safe to play for those 16 years and older.
The story takes place in Arsur, a fictional empire within a fantasy universe that draws inspiration from historical settings in the Middle East. Much of it is based on Kurdish culture, drawing from my own experience as a Kurdish woman.
Your character is 25 years old and was born and raised in Arsur, where magic is considered a skill no different from reading or writing. Gender, sexual orientation, and race have no bearing on social position or class; it is instead only based on wealth and level of education.
The Arsurian Empire itself is overseen by a single ruler known as the Crown. Unlike traditional monarchies, however, the title is not inherited through blood. Whenever the Crown dies, their famed golden eyes pass on to the one chosen by the spirits of this world to be the new Crown: this appears to happen at random, as Crowns in the past have ranged from the poorest farmer to the wealthiest noble.
Their parents murdered and the previous Crown of Arsur assassinated, your character finds themselves on the run as they’ve been bestowed with the golden eyes that mark them as the new Crown.
Unseen enemies at their heels, will they succeed as the Crown, or will they lead to the downfall of the Empire?
At the beginning of the story, you’ll have the opportunity to customize your Crown’s name, pronouns, sexual orientation, and their skill in magic. You can also customize many parts of your Crown’s appearance: hair color, hair texture, hairstyle, skin color, height, and clothing style are all up to you and will be reflected in the story as well.
Their ethnicity and culture is locked in as Kurdish/Middle Eastern. The Crown is also locked in as a person of color, as is in line with the setting - their specific race is up to the player to imagine.
As for your Crown’s personality, there are twelve different character traits in total, six of which will be decided based on the choices you make in-game. This will subsequently change your Crown’s behavior during story and romance scenes.
Depending on what your Crown’s sexual orientation is, the gender of the love interests will change accordingly to match that. There are four of them in total, and each love interest will have their own route which you will get to choose from at the end of the common route.
The Sorcerer; Rêzan/Rozerîn
The Crown’s Sorcerer, widely regarded to be a prodigy and expected to become the most powerful magus in the Empire.
The Hero; Xelara/Xelef
A legendary mercenary and the leader of the Crescent Blades, whose exploits were chronicled in song. Also known as the Pale Sword.
The Protector; Ashti/Azad
Once a peerless soldier in the Imperial Army, now promoted to the Royal Protector of the Crown due to their unrivaled skill and exceptional integrity.
The General; Dara/Delal
The General of the Imperial Army, known for many strategic victories in warding off attacks from hostile nations.
Artwork of the characters done by @artbygaia!
Development log
- Chapter 13 Release Dates1 day ago
- Changelog 15/3/25 + Personality Cheat Sheet for the Crown!74 days ago
- Chapter 13 Progress [28/JAN]Jan 28, 2025
- Chapter Twelve Released!Dec 28, 2024
- Chapter Twelve Early Access Released!Dec 21, 2024
- Chapter Twelve Release DatesNov 25, 2024
- Chapter 12 Progress [06/NOV]Nov 06, 2024
- Chapter 12 Progress [08/APR]Apr 08, 2024
Comments
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I don't usually comment on things but I had to make an account for this. My friend recommended me this game and I've been playing it for the past five days(days off are a blessing). I love it more than I thought I would. I'm done with R's and A's and D's route and almost done with X's . The thing is I saw some comments saying that every character has multiple routs . Is there a walkthrough for that? Are there specific key moments where i have to choose a specific option?
I think you're referring to high vs low romance routes for every love interest (the words used in the relationship screen describing your romance are "steady" vs "unsteady"). This is determined through the choices you make in regards to your love interest. As of now, there aren't any official walkthroughs for it, but you're free to ask others for help here if you like!
I would like to help with the translation of the game, any way to apply?
I appreciate the offer, but I'm not looking for any translators right now! My focus is on finishing the game first 🙏🏼
that’s okay, at any point after you’re done with the development my offer stands. Good luck
Ok I have no idea where to go to ask this question so im putting it here:
I'm on my second attempt at a playthrough (havent made it past chapter 9/10) first time was the R route, this time it's the A route. I need to know if I am making choices that give me an unsteady relationship after the coronation/masked person incident or if that's a un-avoidable part of the story because i would very much like to fix whatever I'm doing wrong if possible 😭
Ok so basically there is a threshold of affection for every LI that determines whether your relationship is steady or unsteady. You just need to get more affection points with A and you can farm a lot in the first 5-6 chapters. I think I can tell you exactly what choices raise A's affection if you want, just let me know.
Ahh okay 😭 I thought I was doing pretty good at picking the best interactions with them but I started off both A and R with an unsteady relationship right after the masked person incident (A left my crown to escort a grieving widow which caused tension, and my crown stopped trusting R to speak to the nobles). I was just going crazy wondering if it was me or the game so thank you for letting me know and hopefully next time, I'll get the right answers 🫠
the chokehold delal,xelara and ashti's routes have on me is unreal ToT so ofc I'ma keep replaying it lol I'ma get my frind hooked on it aswell
choke me bitch ps I'm the friend
you cant say that bruv [ToT]
cant stop me
when we're confronted with farrukh and tavan in chapter 4 and azad comes to help us, we have a choice to either take charge of the situation or continue to let azad help us-- but i'm not able tp get to the choice where we can take charge, sinc it says i'm not close enough yet. does anyone know what choice i have to make to unlock that option?
hmm i played through his route just now so im not entirely sure ironically enough, but when you rode on the horses back to the city, did you choose to ride with him?
thats the only like, main thing i can think of.
Some choices are locked if you don't have enough affection with the characters. The choices that raise affection with A up to that point are complimenting their eye color, asking A how they became Royal Protector when talking with them and X, riding with A to the city, telling them to be honest with you and having them comfort you after the nightmare.
Gods I would fight the world for Xelef, I love him. The story is absolutely beautiful.
I just did Azad's route and omg I just want to hold him and kiss him and cuddle him.
I can't tell who's my favorite between the two. Theyre both so soft and squishy.
Guess the only solution to my dilemma is waiting for the poly update.
bro said my thoughts exactly^
i am on xelef's route and that is all i need to say. SEND HELP DESPITE MY WILLINGNESS!
Ooooh my god i love this so much. Only played one route so far (Dara my poor, sad man) but i love the intrigue and how the personality of the protagonist actually lines up with the character i tried to shape them after.
...even if i do wish i could lock every idiot noble up and reset the political system into something less infuriating. i get why i cant, but boy it would be satisfying
i’ve been spending an unhealthy amount on playing this and i can’t resist playing it, help me!!!!!
What did I do wrong? I keep getting a bad ending in chapter 4 and have no clue what I did wrong, I just die in the tunnel.
I’ve never gotten that ending, but from what I’ve seen, it happens when you don’t have enough romance points with any of the characters. Again, I’ve never gotten it, so feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.
I don't know. I was trying for a romance with Rezan but I guess it just wasn't enough?
I have only died that way when i select an outer magic type. Inner magic i survive it. 🤷♂️
Magic type has no effect on that.
This happens if, like other poster mentioned, you don't gain enough romance points with any of the ROs. IIRC you need something like 6+ points for that person to become option you can select as your rescuer.
This can be a result of either picking responses in interactions with them which don't match their preferences, dividing your attention between ROs and thus missing out on opportunities to increase your standing with one person, or a combination of those.
very well written. i cant wait to see how the romance paths are developed; they feel so realistic and not rushed like other games. i will gladly buy this when it is fully released.
Can safely say after spending hours upon hours playing every route up to current chapter (12) that this game is worth the hype. It's also inspiring me to learn how to make my own IF. The world building, character interactions, and writing are truly phenomenal.
I just got to say - I last played this like a year ago, and the story still occasionally will pop into my mind, and I'll have the thought that I should come back and play more of it.
Really fantastic stuff :)
When i try to load a save from my phone files it exits the game, is there a fix?
I don't know about a fix since I'm not sure what causes that problem, but maybe you could try using a different browser on your phone?
This is amazing ! The plot is crazy and the characters so cool !! heheheh everyone is so endering, I really recommende
You gorgeous, remarkable, a million different other positive adjectives being holy moly. This story is so wonderfully full-fledged and thought out. The lore is insanely deep and every little word is intentional. I've been obsessed with this lovely storyline for the past three days and it has been well worth it. (I'm still only on Chapter... 6 I wanna say but omgosh) What if I just never left my house again and simply played through this for the rest of my life?? GOSH I adore this project. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful world with us <3
so real
I love this game! But there's a bug because the save, settings, or restart button won't show on my screen.
There should be a way to scroll down the sidebar to the options if they don't fit on your screen 🤔 You could try playing with a different browser? Some of them might give you problems like that depending on your device!
Ok thanks! Switched devices and it started working!
im half turk and half kurd and i loved this!! also the art is so prettyyy and i love xelef!! >-<
[Spoiler ahead]
I've been following this game since around 2022 I think, and with each update I grow more excited to read the rest. I don't write comment usually, but this game is just so worth it.
I can't decide on what's my favourite thing: the story, the story-telling, the characters or the romance. Everything's amazing.
The story and narrative are really good and I can't wait to unravel how Crowns are chosen, who really was MC's father or who are the ones behind the assassination attempt. The characters are well-written too and to be the Crown is truly a delight, as the MC's personnality is one that feels really natural and likable.
I also love that we can do meaningful choices that have a real impact on the story, such as favouring the people, the noble or the Mîrs or even trusting the Peri princess or not. That feels great, even if the consequences sometime bites you in the ass (rip Yokbûn :/ )
The setting is refreshing also, and the (I think middle-eastern ?) culture depiction is beautiful.
And of course, the LIs are so good, I don't know how many re-runs I did as a shy or bold Crown to see the reactions of each one. I clicked a bit less with Rêzan but Dara and Xelef are just <3. The interactions feel naturals and the relationship evolution is at juste the right pace. The romance with Dara is just so frustrating (good kind oc), let us love one another ahhh
Anyway, all of this just to tell you that I love your game, and you're just wonderful. It's a masterpiece as well as easily one of my favourite (and I've played many haha)! I hope you had a nice day and look forward to the next update :)
All this time, and whenever I replay I still giggle and fawn over Heval and Tujo. Yeah those two aren't ROs but I still love them both. Anyway, the actual 4 ROs hold a special place in my heart and I'm following the progress of this rich and inventive story eagerly.
Like the magic system and world building is so good that I'm getting caught up in those and the political maneuvering forgetting this is also a romance game so when the romance pops up again it's a pleasant and well paced reminder. That it's heavily based on/influenced by an actual culture just makes me very happy because I love seeing more cultures and peoples getting representation in media/literature. Can't wait for more!
giggling and kicking my feet reading this instead of studying send HELP
There is nothing like this game, and it's absolutely wonderful. 10/10 experience, creator deserves the world
Thanks so much 💖
I'm halfway in chapter 2 and let me tell you. IM DESPERATE FOR TUJO! Why isn't he a RO goddammit? 😩
STOP ME TOO 😭😭😭
What a fantastic experience. I'm so glad I found this story. Each LI is so compelling; I love the universe this is set in. The romance is mild yet sweet. My favorite intimate scenes were with R. *Melts.*
I wish the new text between playthroughs was differentiated somehow, kind of like how VNs have a 'skip read' function or different colored text. Maybe that could be added once finished/downloadable.
I've played this 5 times in the past week. It pulled me away from a $60 otome game and held my attention better too. Once I have some spare funds I'll be sure to tip! Great work!
Thank you, I appreciate it!! 💖 Unfortunately with the way Twine (the software I used to make this) works, a skip functionality or highlighting all the new text would be very tricky to implement, as the variations in writing and the way it's structured is much more complex compared to a VN engine like ren'py (see this image, this is what the game looks like). Especially with how huge this game will end up being, even going back and highlighting *every* "new" bit of text would be a massive undertaking. So yeah, that's probably not something I will be able to add 😩
I PLAYED ALL THE ROUTES AND AUGAGAGAGAHAGAHGA (ノT＿T)ノ ＾┻━┻ !!!!!
OHMYGOD this game is perfect!!!! ive replayed multiple times now and each time i feel like im reading it for the first time; the worldbuilding, the lore, the LIs????!!!!
delal sidar the woman you are.. i would like her to crush me between her biceps like that one meme wiqwsnhw.. for real though, "dont lead me astray".. brb crying rn 💪
ashti my shaylaaaaaaaaa!! i love her so much i would like her to throw me off a roof and i WOULD ask her to do it again. you rule my heart, child of the ruler 🙇♀️
lmao i hated xelef when i first met him that cocky bastard smh.. but now i will kill welat for him, my gorgeous sugar plum pie ♥♥
rezan.. rezan.. REZAN!! my cutie patootie babyyyy i love him to death!! ive replayed his route a bunch of times now and every time feels like the first time.. got me giggling and kicking my feet and shi hehehheeh
also FUCK ziryan, always interrupting me and my future spouse's quality time together smh 🙄 jkjkjk lolol i love all the side characters sm, they have actual personalities of their own and arent just dud npcs
everybody say THANK YOU QERESI for this otherwordly IF, pls keep it up, so excited for ch 13 i might combust but pls dont pressurise yourself, we'll wait as long as required 💖💖💖
Thanks so much for the lovely comment, it made me smile to read 💖💖💖
Regarding Azad’s romantic route. Am I the only one who got a kiss scene? When I read it again, I haven’t been able to trigger that moment again. I’m wondering how I would be able to get it again. But overall the entire story and all routes included are well written and beautiful. I can’t wait for more!
Hey, so i just finished A's route and wanted to know if you mean by kiss the one on the forehead or one on the lips because i only got the first one.
It was a kiss one the lips, I don't know how I got it. But i re-read his route over more than once trying to get it again. After he showed the mc his memory of the beach through his eyes. There was a kiss scene, i haven't been able to trigger it again
I regret to inform you there was never a kiss on the lips, only the Crown/A seeming to *intend* to do it, but not actually going through with it 😭 I think you must have misremembered. But the kiss scene will definitely get here eventually!
I can't tell you how obsessed I am with this game! I've played every romance route at least onc. Dara's twice because he's my new husband and I had to see both flirting options! Dara blushing!! Gah!! My heart X.x
Anyways, I have to say that this is now the WIP I most look forward to seeing finished. I need so much more!! The writing is so insanely well done. Some of the dialogue is just *chefs kiss* not to even mention some of the descriptions. I just loved some of the phrasing so intensely lol I even screenshot one! "A sense of foreboding brands urgency into his feet..." I can't explain why I like that so much, it's just the most interesting way to describe him picking up the pace to run a bit faster. The characters are all interesting and complex with their own unique baggage/backstory. I just love it!
Keep it up guys!! You are killing it! And, uh, when do you plan to have it all done? How many chapters are there supposed to be? I'm dying to complete this story lol
Thank you so much, I really appreciate the kind words!! It's also just little old me writing it, I don't have a team or anything like that (if I did I'd probably be able to finish it faster) 🥲 As such I also can't give you a timeline for when it will be done, realistically it will probably take me several years. But my estimate/aim for the amount of chapters is anywhere between 25-28!
I find it incredibly hard to believe that I didn't leave a comment on this yet. Simply put, a F***KING MASTERPIECE.
First of all, the range of options you have and how it affects you later on is amazing. Different characters will have different reactions to different choices and the romance is just absolutely beautiful. I'm on my 4th playthrough and the cheat sheet was a great idea. Makes my choices much more simpler.
I do have one tiny little suggestion that, even if applied, I think I'll forget that I made. When you first hear of the previous Crown, he's called the Ferzan the Bold. I think it would be kind of cool to have different titles according to the player's stats in the end. Like, wayyyyyyyy in the end. Epilogue basically.
Take it or leave it, either way, this is probably my favorite thing on the entirety of this site. You get a thumbs up from me! (because I have no idea how to apply emojis on this thing)
Thanks so much for the kind words 💖
About your idea for an epithet for the Crown: I was actually considering implementing something like that based on their character traits! but in the end I decided it would be more impactful if the epithet was gained based on the Crown's choices during their reign rather than their personality. You decide their traits very early on after all, and they don't change throughout the entire story, so an epithet earned through player choices will probably hit harder. So, that's definitely planned 🙏🏼
That...makes so much more sense. Really looking forward to that! And, I cannot stress this enough, this "tale" you've created is absolutely AMAZING!
I LOVE AZAD???? WHY DON'T I SEE MORE COMMENTS ABOUT HIM???? Amazing game, currently my first blind playthrough with Azad I love him sm aaaaaaaa
We love Azad for sure 💙🥰
real Azad is legit so pookie he has a sense of humor and is kind and very insightful. I just love him sm
this is amazing. first time in 20 romance novel things I actually fall in love with a character. slow burn my beloved!!! im so so so excited for chapter 13 I think I might explode. haven't done the other routes yet but I'm already obsessive over A. im . like. okay. thank you so much for this
Thank you, I really appreciate that 💖
i can't wait for chapter thirteen! and i especially can't wait for the poly update EEEK!! 10/10 story my favorites were A and X (i couldn't choose so i picked both routes and added them to my save for laters and safe to say i am NOT disapointed)
Thanks so much!! 💖 I'm really looking forward to being able to write the polyam routes in the future as well 🙏🏼
And I'll be waiting patently for you to bless me with your writing.
aimed for myself fell in love with xelef <33 would smash dara but i gotta stay with my bbg until there is a poly option :( (even then tho xelef on top)
so like update i tried dara and i thought he was strangling me but i misread how am i THIS blind
i was aiming for Xelef and FELL IN LOVE WITH MY BELOVED DARA MY SHAYLAAAA
what type of game genre are these called???
interactive fiction and then medieval fantasy, for example. Have you looked at the tags? They might also help to find something in that vein, "Story Rich", "Meaningful Choices" for example. Hope that helped
Ohh thank you, I didn't know there were tags
I haven't gotten that far in the story yet but I can already tell this is going to be my new hyperfixiation for the month.. Does anyone know if there's a poly option or is it all one on one?
From what I've observed, there currently aren't any poly options available, which means you must choose only one.
Polyamorous routes are planned for in the future, after the main game and the solo routes are finished!
I don't like to read but I wanted to leave a comment saying that we need more good stories like this, set in places which deviate from the Western European norm.
Completely agree!! I'd love to see others write stories of their own cultures and home regions 🙏🏼
I'm currently doing a thing where I do all four. and I love it so much. 10 outta 10. would recommend
Dude... the last chapter with D made me cry.
Them saying: "Don't lead me astray." ദ്ദി(╥﹏╥) I am unwell
I discover this game totally by chance and it's incredible!
I am absolutely sure that I'll play it again with Azad (I'm currently playing with Xelef).
But it's so well written that I am sure I'll play it just to experience the other choices!
I Play with some "reading playlist" and it's even better than a série on TV. I'm totally hooked!