The Council

Great game

(Spoiler-free)

The Council is a story-driven adventure game where you shape the story your own way. The game is an experimental mix of different genres that combined, work surprisingly well together. This is a game where choices really matter and the path you choose for the development of your character is gonna have an enormous impact on the upcoming events. I discovered this gem a few years ago. At the time, there was only one episode available which absolutely amazed me and left me craving for more. Years have passed and the game is a finished product now. I am excited to finally discover what it is about and experience all it has to offer.

A wise man once said “First impressions are the most lasting”. I agree with that which is why for me it is important that the game does not disappoint at the beginning and make you wanna keep playing it to discover more. Did it? Yes, it definitely bought me. First episode introduces the story and characters. I really enjoyed talking to people and getting to know them. The game also allowed me to explore this massive mansion a little and I have taken advantage of that by visiting every part that was accessible for me. Playing the episode evoked in me the feelings I had all those years ago. After I was done with the episode, I was absolutely hooked and wanted to keep playing. The time that passed since I first tried it was enough. I did not remember anything which allowed me to approach the game with a clean slate.

I felt like the second episode was a bit worse than the first. It involved much more active gameplay. There will be a lot of walking around the mansion and a lot of interactions with the objects. It starts really nice but the lack of action made it a little boring by the end of the episode. A few puzzles can also be encountered there which turned out pretty difficult to find a solution to but I managed. I didn’t find it relaxing as I did the first episode. All this walking, thinking and figuring things out was very demanding. As for the rest of the episodes, there was much more balance in terms of walking and talking. They are much more interesting because the twists and turns of the story are prioritized. Although I enjoyed all of the episodes, I still found them demanding enough to be in need of a break after completing each one. I couldn’t play this game for long during one session and their length was a little too long for me too.

Let’s talk about the story. It is really interesting and keeps you engaged from the start until the very end. We step into the shoes of Louis, a son of a respected authority figure who has been invited to participate in The Council as a replacement for his mother because she went missing. This is a meeting for the most influential figures in the world where discussions and decisions are made. During this game you will be playing a political game where you build relationships, investigate mysteries, manipulate people and try to sway them to your cause. You won’t really know who your allies and enemies are. You can’t know what their motives are and what they are trying to accomplish as they keep it to themselves. In case your interests don’t align or you trust the wrong person, it may backfire. I honestly had a lot of fun and I would love to see another game from this universe in the future.

When it comes to gameplay, the game continues not to disappoint. There is a trait system which allows you to influence people and objects by approaching them in a different way. An example of this would be that evolving your character with the knowledge of psychology may be useful in the future when you will be in need of a psychological analysis. The amount of possibilities is huge which allows for multiple replays and multiple endings. You discover immunities and weaknesses of people by talking to them, investigating their belongings or their behaviour based on the skills you invested into. This is what makes this game unique and stand out in this genre. You will also be given a lot of freedom when it comes to how you play the episode. At the start of each part of the episode, we are given a quest and it is up to us how we are going to approach it but the result must be the same. There will be quite a lot of puzzles. Most of them are easy but I encountered a few that I was unable to overcome without a walkthrough guide. I don’t like the difficulty of some of the puzzles. I believe that there are a few that are actually too complex to which finding a solution is too time consuming. Still, I think that this is a strong suit of this game.

There are a few characters in this game and each one is unique. I think those are well-written characters because each one stands for something else and adds a special flavour to the story. Their personalities are each other’s opposites. Right off the bat I was able to tell which ones I liked and which ones I didn’t. I believe I was able to relate to every single one of them which made it difficult when choosing sides. After all, those characters are explicit, interesting, charismatic, unforgettable and uniquely important to the story. In terms of voice acting I think that the game is on a high level as well. Only their expressions could have been better. When it comes to emotions, these faces have no life in them. During interactions you feel like you are talking to something that resembles a human but is far from it. Randomly moving lips while they are speaking with no synchronization whatsoever is not helping their case either.

While on the subject of negatives, this game has one big problem which can be considered a deal breaker for a lot of people and it is the fact that the game refuses to run in 60 fps. It doesn’t matter how well you adjust your visual settings, the number of frames doesn’t change. I believe that there are ways to remove the limit. I personally tried a few ways but none solved it for me. I played the whole thing having around 40-50 frames at all times. It was bothering me quite a lot at the start but I decided to keep playing because I was really enjoying the game. I eventually stopped paying attention to it which allowed me to embrace my experience. I find it really hard to believe sometimes that relatively new games like this one, still have this type of problems. It didn’t affect my overall experience much but what wasn’t a problem for me, may turn out to be one for somebody else so this is something to keep in mind.

To sum up, I found a gem that tells a really interesting and extraordinary story. It is a combination of a few of my favourite genres which makes this game unique and stand out among others. In terms of gameplay, the game gives you a lot of freedom and possibilities which only benefit it. It offers multiple replay choices and multiple endings. Unfortunately, this title refuses to run in 60 frames which I would consider to be its biggest disadvantage. What can also be considered a problem is the difficulty level of some of the puzzles. I must say I am proud to have found this game as many people don't seem to know it exists. It is something I feel like I can recommend with a clear conscience. Go ahead and give it a try, the first episode is free. It doesn’t cost anything but time and it will be well worth your time.

If you enjoyed the review you can find more detailed reviews on my curator page here.

If George Washington is all you need to play a game, well, he's in this game. It's so slow though with very little depth.

Although there are some frustrating sections and a few confusing puzzles, overall this is a beautiful game with an interesting mystery. I liked that your choices matter and really do affect how it unfolds. I also felt immersed in the time period. I'd recommend to anyone looking for a good period piece mystery game.

I love the game but I would love to play in my native language (Turkish). It was a little hard for me to understand all the accents but I had so much fun and enjoyed the game.

This game is truly amazing, and I highly recommend playing it. It may seem simple at first and not have a very long story, but it is filled with deep truths and secrets about life. If you are interested in historical symbols, political, historical, and social stories, this game will be incredibly fascinating for you.

The genre is somewhat mysterious and eerie, yet it is also educational and beautifully crafted. I believe that playing such games can contribute to intellectual growth, much like reading a book. You can learn interesting and valuable information within the game, and even get a closer look at the lives of some prominent political figures. Additionally, it introduces you to the mysteries of beliefs, politics, culture, and history.

In my opinion, this game is more than just a game—it offers a short yet meaningful journey and experience for the player. Every gamer should have this title on their list. I truly hope the developers create more versions of this game focusing on different political and historical narratives, expanding on this concept. This game combines learning, entertainment, and exploration all in one, making it a unique and worthwhile experience

Looks cool, idea is neat, I'm sure it could be fun but save yourself the headache and just watch a Let's Play because maaaaan the optimization in this game is horrendous.

I like it very much. The plot, characters, scenery are very good. I felt like I was in the era. There are some optimization problems.

The performance is dreadful on 9800x3d and 4070 = 40fps with lots of frame spikes. the same on 4080. 4090 can just about get 43 fps at 4k with drops. Horrible performance for 2008 graphics. should be 120+ on the 4070 at 4k looking like that.

Has potential but it has low fps, bugs, and saved data can get corrupted.

This game was very intriguing. It took me a long time to realize that I wasn't enjoying it anymore. There were fun parts, the story was engaging for some time, and perhaps there would be more to enjoy if I hadn't reached my personal point-and-click limit. But it's a whole lot of run around, point, and click.

I really didn't like the timed responses. My life is such that I get interrupted a lot when I'm playing, and I would have appreciated the option to shut those off. I got used to it, but it created a little bit of unnecessary unpleasantness, imo.

Masterclass.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3093082369
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1616739023
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3093082326

the writing in this made me blush with secondhand embarrassment

I enjoyed the game. I liked the choices, I also liked the mystery of finding your mother. I would recommend this game, I could not stop playing.

Poorly optimised and capped at 43 fps
story is not that great either

Hours of entertainment for very little money.

I went into The Council hoping for a gripping mystery, but honestly, I came out disappointed. While the game tries to bring something fresh with its RPG mechanics and historical intrigue, it ultimately falls flat in key areas.

- Story & Narrative:
The initial premise had potential your mother goes missing, and you're supposed to uncover the truth. But from the start, it felt like nobody really cared, not even the main character. His focus kept shifting instead of making her disappearance feel urgent. As the episodes progressed, especially after Episode 3, the story lost momentum and became weaker. Some plot points didn’t make sense, and character reactions felt inconsistent. For example, when my arm was cut off, some characters acted like nothing had happened when I met them later. That completely broke the immersion for me.

- Gameplay & Mechanics
The game presents itself as an RPG adventure with skill trees and class-based choices, but by Episode 2, unlocking different skills made class selection meaningless. The puzzles, which should have been a highlight, felt boring and uninspired, maybe because of the way the mechanics were handled. Instead of feeling engaged, I was just going through the motions.

- Technical Issues
On top of that, the game is almost capped at 30 FPS, which is frustrating in 2025. The frame rate made movement feel sluggish, taking away from what could have been a more immersive experience.

- Final Thoughts
I really wanted to enjoy The Council, but the story’s lack of emotional weight, shallow RPG mechanics, and technical limitations made it hard to stay invested. The first two episodes had some promise, but after Episode 3, the game just fell apart.

Would I recommend it? Not really. Maybe if you get it on sale and are really into narrative-driven games, but otherwise, there are far better story-driven experiences out there.

Final Score: 5/10 – A good concept with weak execution.

So far so good. It started off okay and I wasn't too invested into things, but I found the difficulty and satisfaction of solving things, the dialogue and the maneuvering that needs to be done in most situations to be fantastic. Something I enjoy and I started the game today and played it for almost 10 hours. Just finished Chapter 3 and even though the ride was a bit stressful, it was a fun one nonetheless.

44 fps lock , horrible visuals , to enter the menu (TO CHANGE GRAPHICS) u need to hold the button , not click like all others , but hold ,wtf ?

technical quality issssss okay
great story and quests
a lot of interactions based on skills
if you enjoy twisted plots maybe you should try

The main character will provide art history lessons if you allow them. The upgrade system is needlessly convoluted, but adds to the charm because you can't make a wrong choice. The game would have benefited from less playtime, but overall, it tells a fun story. The voice acting and character models are little hit or miss, but it adds to the charm.

An imaginative tale of two British super spies infiltrating a mysterious secret society controlling the world. While the subtext of the characters relationships to each other, and the significance of the characters intercommunication can get complicated, The Council has no problem providing an engaging political thriller steeped in the occult. The story is captivating. The characterization is meticulous. The gameplay is fluid. And the action is exciting. I really enjoyed this game. Rated 9 out of 10.

What I assumed was gonna be a straight forward historical mystery turned into... quite something different. Worth to play just for the weird ways this game goes.

deep and immersive game , this is not the typical point and click. The graphics are well made and 3D , The story itself is a conspiracy that touches upon historical events and most likely to large extent very true. I would even say the game has come closer than Dan Brown's books (The Da Vinci Code) . The Game game gives you multiple ways to go through and shows you what you could have missed and what you have failed at , it at all.
I want more games like that . I wish i could share this experience with more people , and i wish there would be a sequel to this.

Had me hooked the first 10 minutes so good

Brilliant, really enjoyed it.

Noticeably flawed in *every* aspect and a chore to play... Looking forward to what Team Icarus ends up creating in their student-made DLC

Ok, this game is 10 out of 10 despite final rollercoasters.
And. Your. Choices. Really. Matter.

Доигрывал уже чисто из принципа.
Очень неравномерная игра, с иногда интересным сюжетом, но с супер душными головоломками и скучнейшей беготней.

I'm halfway through episode 2 and a I can already say that if you enjoy detective style storydriven multiple choice games like a mix of Disco Elisium and the Telltale story games, then you will enjoy this one. Fantastic voice acting very interesting story with actual consequences to your actions. I got it on sale and it was very much worth the cheap deal I bought it for.

This game, alternatively named, "Get On With It Already" made perfect sense at the start. It made for a fun game. But then the last episode came and made me want to end it all.
It was so boring and dragged on. The story lost all of its luster that I actually got the worse ending possible due to me just wanting to GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!
Some developers are extremely talented in ruining their own masterpieces. There should be a game reward "Mucker Upper"

And this year's award goes to: the victorian themed game with the hot babe in the first act before anything else happens!

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Nothing stronger than family

Pretty good.

The first three episodes are well made and very enjoyable, then episode 4 jumps the shark, and episode 5 is just complete garbage. At the end of episode 4 I was still planning on recommending the game based on the extremely low price when it's on sale, but after episode 5 I can only recommend saving your money and playing something else.

My frame rate is stuck at 40 and there is no solution that works.

Очень интересная игра. Она похоже на интерактивные кино от Telltale, но только поверхностно. Здесь все же на первый план выступает детектив с элементами мистики. Первые 2 эпизода немного нудноватые, но с конца 2-го сюжет раскачивается.

Nice gameplay and graphics

Good game. I always liked these dialogue-heavy/choice-focused games with Branching narratives, consequences and social interactions. Much like Vampire swansong, I liked this one. the flaws in both games are kinda the same, but other than them, they're both very good.

The timer is way too short, don't even get a chance to read them. Shitty design.

I enjoyed it

eh

One of my favorite games ever!

The complexity of the plot and the intricacies of the story are beyond words. It's an entertaining, emotional journey all throughout which would interest anyone who has even a slight curiosity for world politics or history. A lot of what this game implies uncannily reflects real life. The RPG mechanics and choices are superb, and I've never seen them executed to such complexity in any other 'walking choice sim'. This game is on another level. For 1.5 euro on a discount, it's a must play, but had I known what I was in for, I'd be ready to pay a hundred times that.

Interesting game, I only fish there more different paths and outcomes.

I was skeptical at buying this but surprisingly the story is actually interesting. Voice acting is decent enough. Buying the rest of the season to see what happens.

Reviewing every game I've played in my Steam Library. Game 12

Not finished this game yet and have read that in the last chapter the story goes down the drain.

However so far the story has remained interesting.

The graphics look slightly cartoony so the visuals might not interest everyone.

Gameplay wise the different skills and conversation mechanics are engaging and fun. Some conversations have quick time events to choose some dialogue so you need to pay attention to what's being said. This is a unique way to develop the story and i've not really seen it used in other games.

However you have limited points to use with the conversation options so you quickly run out of opportunities to uncover more information on the characters.

This means you miss some of the options, and as usual with most "branching story" games some decisions feel like they don't make a difference to the story.

It feels the dev's limited your abilities to use certain skill trees to encourage mulipile play-throughs. I think many won't bother to play it more than once if the ending is as bad as most other reviewers say. This is on my backlog to finish one day.

"Truth is rarely pure and never simple".
The Council is a gripping blend of mystery, intrigue, and education.
This game doesn't just challenge your deduction skills - it pushes you to refresh, or even learn, fascinating details about art, history, and philosophy. It's as much a test of your intellect as it is a thrilling narrative experience.
A must-play for those who love stories with depth and learning woven into every choice.

Absolutely loved this game. Should have played it long ago. Many choices and story plot twists. Many different choices and paths to take. Loved from start to finish. Great game. Highly recommend to anyone who loves story driven games with many choices and consequences and branches in the story and how it plays out. The game mechanics are also very unique in that i have never played a game with such mechanics. the game has mostly a detective type game play but also uses many different skills you must build up in order for the choices you make to be available to you. Also has other mechanics i have not seen in other games. truly a Gem of a game. I must say this game is not a combat type game but more choices consequences and story/detective type game. If you love these type games with an excellent story, this game is absolutely for you.

The game of plots

This game has no action part and is entirely based on dialog selection.
As a player you will walk over a mansion, collect consumables (optional), solve some puzzles and select whom to speak and how. That is it.

The brightest game part it its characters - there are not much of them but they are not flat. Discovering them and searching for their goals is interesting and involving.
Those characters are forming the story of the game that should not be spoiled here.
On your way of discovering the story you may chose different paths by selecting different 'abilities', paths or dialog options. Some may even have interesting consequences. Game is also rewarding player for an attention to details.

The not so bright parts are non-dialog mechanics.
- Player is free to walk over mansion, but the movement itself it not quite good there.
- There are consumables in the game that are increasing success chances, but it seems alien to the game.