Yes, Your Grace Review

With Power Comes Responsibility

Yes, Your Grace takes us to Davern, a medieval kingdom where monsters and witchcraft are woven into the city’s everyday life. Stepping into the shoes of King Eryk, you’ll deal with petitioners, allies and the prospect of war, while managing the resources available. This medieval strategy RPG was developed by indie studio Noodlecake.

Now, fair warning, the game is not free. After downloading, it tells you straight away that to play the full version you need to pay. You can play the demo for free if you want to try it out first, but honestly, you’ll probably end up paying anyway. The pixel art, the story, the music and the interactions between characters make Yes, Your Grace worth your time and money.

As King, you’ll need to strike a precarious balance between what your kingdom needs and what your family needs, and sometimes, those two oppose each other. Difficult decisions must be taken to progress, and whether those decisions are good or bad, only time will tell.

You Can’t Make Everyone Happy

The gameplay follows a simple routine. You’ll listen to the petitioners at the start of the week and choose to help them or not. Some will require gold or supplies; others will require men. When you deal with a petitioner, an entry will be recorded in your archives to keep track of your choices and their results. Depending on your choices, your resources and the general contentedness of your people will suffer. Afterward, you can talk to your family, allies or prisoners, depending on the choices you’ve made. After there’s nothing else to do, you can move forward to the next week. When you do, you’ll be given a report with your tax income and your deductions. Here you can spend money to fix whatever needs to be fixed or prepare whatever needs to be prepared.

At first, I thought it was going to be a serious version of Reigns, but it’s much more than that. Where Reigns is a bit more comical and only worries about the King’s survival, Yes, Your Grace touches on the much more serious aspect of what it takes to be a good monarch. You’ll need to understand that there’s more to being king than kindness or ruling with an iron fist.

The resources are not infinite, you want to keep your subjects happy without being too lenient. Some people will try to swindle you, others you won’t be able to help. You’ll need to learn to discern between tricksters and those who need you. And most importantly, you’ll need to strike a balance between your personal life and your kingdom.

Between Family and Duty

The writing of the characters is also really good, particularly the family dynamics. The relationship between the King and his daughters is bittersweet in the best way. I won’t say much as not to spoil the story, but the reactions of the daughters to the King’s choices felt very real. After all, being part of the royal family comes with a duty that needs to be fulfilled.

As for the art, I’m usually indifferent to pixel art styles, but in Yes, Your Grace that was not the case. The art style and the music complement the story beautifully. Each location shines with its color palette setting the atmosphere just right.

To me, Yes, Your Grace is more an experience than a game. Your decisions carry a weight that not only affect you but everyone around you. I loved the art and the music, the little hidden jokes, the relationships, and how real they felt. If you’re a casual game enjoyer or want to get a taste of what being king is really like, give Yes, Your Grace a chance.