The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian
Developer Schisma Games
This is a narrative role-playing game telling the story of a crown prince of the Blessed Arknian Empire. You possess great power, but are also burdened by duty. Can you change the world and stay true to yourself? Every decision comes with a cost. From the Steam store page
275 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Nov 3, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
172 positive · 69 negative
95% range 65–77%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 172 | 69 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 7 | 5 | 22 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
What players are saying
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 243 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (1,323 of 1,743 positive).
Some reviewers are disappointed by undisclosed AI art, calling it a betrayal of trust. [1][2][3] Others criticize the rigid story and excessive reliance on metagaming to achieve good endings. [4][5][6]
- [2]
AI art in the first 30 minutes, not disclosed on store page. I'm so disappointed waiting years for this sequel. The first game is a masterpiece and free at time of posting this review. Play that instead
- [8]
While the masses of casual players around here are busy with their performative outrage about alleged AI art (while not providing any evidence for that whatsoever), let us take a minute and talk about things of actual relevance: The gameplay and the story. After completing my first playthrough (with a triumph ending) I can confirm that Jerian is in every aspect a worthy successor for "Life and Suffering of Sir …
- [1]
Disappointed by the presence of undisclosed AI art in the game. My best guess from reviewing the evidence is that AI art was used as a template then drawn over for a more professional finish--But there are still strange errors left over that a human simply wouldn't make. Things that would take a human effort to make them so wrong. They've come out and denied this but I've seen a pretty conclusive listing of these …
- [12]
The game is great. Narratively is a lot more interesting and engaging than the first one. When the first one had very simple one-dimensional characters Prince Jerian offers a much more nuanced perspective of its world and the people that inhabit it. The gameplay is also very much improved and I'll have to disagree with a lot of the people that left a bad review after a single run went awry. First of all I'll be …
- [4]
Very nice game. The big problem is that it is simply impossible to roleplay since you focus less on the actual choice presented to you and more on the points/relations/skills that specific choice gives to you. If you want to reach a somewhat satisfying ending you HAVE to reload the game again and again, and really metagame the ever living ♥♥♥♥ outta the points system. I really think this system should be completely …
Summarised from 34 of the 280 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
71% of the 243 Steam reviewers we collected recommend The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian. The complaint that keeps coming up: undisclosed AI art in the game. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Reactions
60 of 275 · most liked firstAI art in the first 30 minutes, not disclosed on store page. I'm so disappointed waiting years for this sequel. The first game is a masterpiece and free at time of posting this review. Play that instead
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Contains undisclosed AI slop, which is incredibly disappointing. On top of the low-effort assets, the developers pulled a bait-and-switch by introducing a discount bundle for previous game owners only to delete it shortly after launch. Shady business practices all around.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am so sad. I loved the first one and have been eagerly awatiing another one. The resolution also doesn't scale properly on my screen. The images don't load on Linux. But now I see that even if they did, it would be AI slop. I don't want to pay for someone's creativity, if they can't be bothered to pay for others.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game uses AI generated art and animations without disclosing them. This is obvious from the art itself; though I ignored my bad feelings for too long, not wanting to believe the devs behind the beautiful hand-drawn art in Sir Brante would do that. Art Director runs an AI company and devs admitted they use AI for "communicating ideas" only.... right, right. They tried to hide it by merging all the AI discussion threads on the Steam forum into a single thread, then getting that thread…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →SO Let me start my review with the NOTE that there are a LOT of LOTLESS IDIOTS who can't even tell the difference between AI and the REAL ART made by a team of real HUMANS who worked their asses off to create the illustrations for the game. Here are some explanations on why the ART in this game is a Human made product: 1) The continuity of strokes 2)Logic of drawings 3)Consistancy in style 4)No mistakes in anatomy 5)Just look at the forth screenshot in the store (the amount of hands reaching…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I do wish Steam had a 'middle' option for games like this. Mechanically, it's a richer game than the first one, and the characters, intrigue, and expanded exploration of the world and religion are compelling. It's also more stable than the first game, with no crashes or dips. But, crucially, what torpedoes the experience is just how much more metagaming Prince Jerian requires to even baseline progress the story, let alone achieve anywhere close to a somewhat desirable outcome. The consequence…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →No, but it has potential. If Sir Brante is a 9/10 game and narrative, then Jerian is squarely in the 6/10 territory. The opportunity to play as an Arknian in the same universe is good, and you're an all-powerful character navigating the political theatre. However, the story in this one is too rigid, there's a few railroaded milestones that you're going to have to deal with regardless, even if you supposedly make choices that deny that milestone from happening. Prevent a code of laws coming…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Near the end, the game can trigger a chain of rebellions that becomes impossible to stop, forcing you to replay a huge number of choices from the previous chapters - not to get a different ending, but just to get any ending at all. That's not the kind of design that makes you love a choice-driven game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I must admit, I respect the devs. Similar to Brante's style, good plot, well-written world. These are the features I'm always attracted to. I recommend the game to everyone who liked TLAS of Sir Brante. However, there are some points that need addressing. 1. AI. While I enjoyed the art wholeheartedly, I see that there's a whole argument between players (especially those who preordered the game like I did) that it is full of AI. I will be honest - I didn't look into every detail of the artworks.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Starts pretty solid, but then it quickly feels rushed and unpolished. Like I cut ties with one of the girls in one chapter, only to see her "act" as if I hadn't turned her down already, and was then offered the option to cut ties with her again. Another time, I managed to solve a problem, only to see that in the next chapters my decision had absolutely not impact on the story at all. Like, WTF?
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a backer and someone who's 100% the previous game, they have improved and innovated so much over their previous title. The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian is a fantastic sequel and easily worth a buy if you enjoyed Sir Brante or a similar game like Galaxy Princess Zorana. The immersion and design works so well with their intention of the 'powerlessness of the powerful' and it makes your hard-fought victory so sweet, especially when you fight through the in-universe politics and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →EDIT (Aug/7/26, developer reply): First of all, not interested in litigating AI vs not-AI beyond what I've already written in the original review. That's for consumers to weigh on their own, I'm giving my opinion on the issue given what I can see but this is a case where its not blatant in either direction. My experience with the bundle on launch, as someone who owned a not-free copy of Sir Brante, was buying with the bundle discount and then seeing discourse hours later about how the bundle…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First, I want to say that I'm a huge fan of the first game "The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante". I really wanted this game also to succeed. I even bought the artbook for the first game and did the same for this one because I wanted to support such a great team. The positives are easy to see: the music is fantastic, the atmosphere is amazing, and the characters are genuinely interesting. BUT... Whoever was responsible for the game's balance completely missed the mark. You don't get to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Undisclosed, extremely obvious AI use. There was incredibly blatant AI use for every paragraph of the Kickstarter, and they both denied it in the Kickstarter and assured people that there would be no AI use in the game because it was made by an entirely different team. I was willing to believe that since maybe marketing is separate from the actual game development. This turned out to be clearly a lie. I'm ok with using AI for games, I am not ok with the clear pattern of lying and poor…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It pains me to write this, because I really loved The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante. Multiple reasons why this game shouldn't have been published in it's current state:: - There are very few personal choices with any impact, most of the choices you make feel empty, affecting some out of reach abstract "Empire", this means the only tangible consequence to anything you do is people's affinity, turning this entire game into a people pleaser manager, instead of shaping your Life and dealing…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I want to love this game, but I just can't. The world-building is magnificent. The creators took the best elements of the first game and expanded on them, making them even more interesting. But everything else is simply terrible. The first half of the game is engaging and promising, yet those expectations are never met. The choices you make aren't particularly compelling and often have no real impact. The final chapter feels so rushed that it’s almost insulting; it leaves you feeling like the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As much as it pains me to say it but I'd recommend against purchasing this game. First and foremost, I'm a huge fan of The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante, I've seen it all, done it all: a paragon priest, a hypocrite priest, an impartial judge, a corrupt judge, a good guy, a bad guy, a superior swordsman, a patriarch and a man who dared challange the Gods. Why did I list all these paths? Because the game didn't use to punish you for roleplay. The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian does…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There is apparently some AI art that i have not noticed 90 minutes into the game. People are either trolling or it's not noticable and immersion breaking at all. The writing is just as good as in the first one so far. EDIT: 6 hours in and still haven't noticed anything AI related. The game is great though, it's new features are cool too. IF there even is anything AI related, it's well hidden and faithful to the game's predecessor.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While the masses of casual players around here are busy with their performative outrage about alleged AI art (while not providing any evidence for that whatsoever), let us take a minute and talk about things of actual relevance: The gameplay and the story. After completing my first playthrough (with a triumph ending) I can confirm that Jerian is in every aspect a worthy successor for "Life and Suffering of Sir Brante" and even improves many strengths the prior game had. Jerian is not a walking…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →AI art is not listed despite clear depictions. This also crashes frequently due to a test screen popping up during sessions. Refusing to pay honest workers for their art and outsourcing it to a machine is one thing. releasing something broken on launch is also another.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't want to leave this game a negative review, but it's the second game in this series that has forced me into the worst possible ending because of weird math, high skill checks, and bizarre logic. It was mostly fine at the beginning, but Chapter 4 is something else: - You're basically screwed at the start of the chapter if you don't have Legacy of the Tempests. You can't earn any extra Legacy at the beginning, but you still have to deal with blue locks. - Constant level 15 skill checks.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've been waiting for this game for so long only to open it and be greeted by ai slop. really sucks to submit a negative review on this
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian(PJ) is second game in the series, which doubles on everything, which Sir Brante was. PJ has deeper story, which shares a lot more about world and politics of Blessed Arknian Empire. It has considerably more illustrations(few of which were rushed), characters, skills and sadly requirements for unlocking story choices. I played this game with hidden consequences in order to role play as character and this often made me feel frustrated. I just don’t get…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Life and Suffering of Brante was a wonderful game, this game is unfortunately a lesser product to its predecessor. I don't agree to the most other negative reviews which criticize this game for being a math game or a min-maxing game as its quite similar to its predecessor in that regard. Also, the suffering is in the name. My main problem with it is that, even though They have spent a lot of time to expand the lore of this universe, they forget what people like me loved Sir Brante in the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was a huge fan of The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante but this game disappoints. The lore and world building is the most interesting parts whereas the rest kind of falls apart. The game is more about numbers than roleplay. Jerian's struggle doesn't feel as important as Sir Brante even though the stakes are higher. Maybe it's because the struggle between your family becoming ennobled by the sword involves many more interesting parts (your sister, mom, grandpa, friends etc.) The gameplay has…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This was a sad disappointment. It seemed to have entirely lost the adaptive, create-your-own-adventure where you feel encouraged to play however you want that made Sir Brante so legendary in the narrative game space. Instead, you're forced to focus on simple arithmetic--if you play the game you want, it's very likely the game will punish you with something like triple back-to-back that spike rebellion from 6 to 10 meaning you lose the game. Or, you won't hit the magic number you need to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fully a "middling" review. I feel the developers took the wrong lessons from the first game, sadly. What works and brings satisfaction in games like this (or its predecessor, or Suzerein, etc) is making a choice and seeing the long term consequences of that specific choice. If you work hard for something, you want the satisfaction of that choice to echo in the game, for good or bad. To be reminded of its consequences and have the narrative respond to it specifically. Jerian is sadly, by…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm really bummed to write this, man. I'm a big fan of the first game and I've been looking forward to this like nothing else. There were a few suspicious images in the trailers, but I'm kind of dumb and I'm full of wishful thinking so I chalked (chocked?) them up to things like reference images- I'm thinking specifically of the image that looks like a dead ringer for the Snobby Twilight Vampires meme. I told multiple friends how much I was looking forward to this. I was so excited. I bought…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wanted to be able to enjoy this game. Played the first one and i loved it, but i cannot feel the same way for Prince Jerian knowing that it contains undisclosed AI art. Based on what i have played so far the game overall seems pretty solid and i want to like it, but in its current state that is sadly impossible for me. I don't want to tell you how to do your jobs (i'm just some random guy after all), but if you could please do something to fix this, then i will be the first person to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Disappointed by the presence of undisclosed AI art in the game. My best guess from reviewing the evidence is that AI art was used as a template then drawn over for a more professional finish--But there are still strange errors left over that a human simply wouldn't make. Things that would take a human effort to make them so wrong. They've come out and denied this but I've seen a pretty conclusive listing of these photos and they go beyond "Poorly drawn hand". A pair of legs under a dinner table…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have not noticed any AI assets, if they exist they are well hidden or people are just paranoid regarding AI these days. If this was AI slop, it would have been out sooner. Shame on those leaving poor reviews just from speculation.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I gave my 17 hours, almost a day since yesterday Pulled off every experience I had with Sir Brante But just because one event forced me to make a choice, I get "the end" I have been waiting this game for two years, excited beyond anything, but what I got was a mediocre story with more stupid calculation system with random consequences.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a great sequel to Sir Brante - Some other reviewers stated finding AI art on the very first 30 minutes of playtime but I seriously doubt that to be true. I also saw some of the errors people mentioned like the chessboard and assumed the game was intentionally drawn differently than the real human counterpart, I think most of the criticism is sadly overblown though I can see where it stems from as AI was in fact used for parts of the marketing, It's a shame that a controversy like this had…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After finishing The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian, the first main ending I was able to get after 25 hours, I found myself conflicted about this game, either seeing it as something truly great or a mess of a story thrown together to show you endings. I say that to preface this before I ramble. I have played its predecessor, The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante. In that game, I fell in love with the world, the art style, its characters, and its stories. In the first game, I felt that the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wouldn't consider this to be a proper CYOA game - i HAD to replay multiple chapters multiple times due to not meeting conditions (aka points required) to make "good enough" choices by devotedly following my pursuit for Progress and Equality. Most of the time you have to replay a chapter at least twice to know when to accept some concessions and not fail because of SURPRISE (e.g. rebellion) events. Some potentially interesting side-stories lead to nothing except for resulting in an achievement…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A struggling story with ideal, faith, compromises and pain, as a Chinese player I must thank 101XP as they publishes Chinese version, which helps me comprehend this game better. Comparing to 101XP's last work, this is a more completed work like its art design. In the game though you play as the prince of empire, you can feel lots of restrictions. As far as now i only experienced one routine, as a reformist a new faith believer, I cut the connection with blood tie and published Jerian's creed…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I absolutely loved this game. I found it less frustrating than the first one, mainly thanks to the ability to use the Tempest Legacy or your mental health to force certain choices. It's a great addition that gives the player more agency without taking away the weight and difficulty of the decisions. That said, I still think playing the first game is essential to fully appreciate this one. It provides the foundation for understanding the society, factions, and conflicts that shape this…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really enjoyed the game at first. The first two chapters especially felt like reading an interactive novel: you move forward page by page, make choices, and gradually shape Jerian and the empire. Unfortunately, the later chapters became increasingly frustrating because important routes are locked behind conditions that are either unclear or only revealed much later. In Chapter 3, I reached a failure ending and replayed the entire chapter. I was fine with that because I could understand what…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not written as well as the original and has fewer interesting decisions
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very good game with meaningful choices. Getting a good ending is VERY hard, not for beginners.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly, a big step down from Ser Brante, the choices don't feel as dramatic and the characters are thinner. Also, the art's just not as good. Wouldn't recommend.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Recommended if you like roleplaying experiences and visual novels. Definitely a more soulful piece, compared to the first game "The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante". Would recommend to all who enjoy a deepdive to political intrigue. While Sir Brante was a game with more action and drama, Prince Jerian feels more like watching a House of Cards episode. Most character will always be political in some way or other. I do think however, that this game coexisting at the same time to Sir…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I loved Sir Brante. But sadly this game doesn't live up to it, maybe it's the setting dealing with 'the matters of the court' stuff that is just annoying and weird. It doesn't seem as deep, immersive or interesting as the original game. Also I will never support the company again even if they release other better games. I decided to support the company by getting it early through their site, then the very next day it was on steam for $14 less, the company gave a weak response, basically didn't…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So far, I have mixed feeling about this, leaning more towards the negative as I'm finding the rebellion mechanic a nuisance, it also appears that a few others share that feeling. I love the style of the game and the story, Jerian's struggle and how the aspect of "With great power comes great responsibility" plays into it, yet I cannot get past chapter four without triggering these rebellion markers which I will admit is infuriating. I'll have a break and probs come back to it at some point,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I cannot recommend this game in it's current state. The fun that the game offers in terms of making crucial decisions is completely offset by the fact that you have to balance so many meaningless numbers to walk your chosen path. It's impossible to dedicate yourself to one path or another because you will end up triggering an early and unfavorable ending. The random events that push numbers such as "rebellion" up are infuriating. You cannot account for them. You end up having to go back and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is great. Narratively is a lot more interesting and engaging than the first one. When the first one had very simple one-dimensional characters Prince Jerian offers a much more nuanced perspective of its world and the people that inhabit it. The gameplay is also very much improved and I'll have to disagree with a lot of the people that left a bad review after a single run went awry. First of all I'll be blunt: You aren't expected to win in your first try. You aren't expected to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Stupid invisible fail states after hours of gameplay making you replay the chapters over and over and over and over and over and over.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →decisions decisions... Talking Sim is taking a peep at The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian twitch.tv/loadingready...
neutral · AI labelView post →So I was really excited for the game The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian, but it turns out they hired an AI art lead, fired all the illustrators on the previous game, and then didnt disclose AI use on steam. Absolute trash behavior. Studio has lost my good will forever. Disappointing.
negative · AI labelView post →This week's indie releases are coming in hot and fresh: July 20 - The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian July 21 - Scarlet Deer Inn July 23 - Dinoblade July 23 - Helix: Descent N Ascent And more: theindieinformer.com/2026/01/05/2...
neutral · AI labelView post →Disappointing follow up game with less meaningful choices. Since this game was released after Brante, it is a major downgrade. Player makes choices that favor family, religion, factions, etc. Generally, there are 3-4 choices to choose from and they branch off after making major decisions. Cons: - Same images are reused too often. The art in Brante was varied and enhanced the story. I am not 100% sure if AI art was used, but the drop in quality is noticeable. - Your choices feel less…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very nice game. The big problem is that it is simply impossible to roleplay since you focus less on the actual choice presented to you and more on the points/relations/skills that specific choice gives to you. If you want to reach a somewhat satisfying ending you HAVE to reload the game again and again, and really metagame the ever living ♥♥♥♥ outta the points system. I really think this system should be completely reworked for the upcoming games. There is so much underlying potential here!…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sometimes more doesn't mean better. Sir Brante was short and left me thinking about it; here I just numb after hours and hours of deciding who is going to pay some taxes and trying balance the numbers. But at least I understood what happened to Uther Tempest and felt that myself.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →July's #promosky 🎮 I showcase demos of Indie games on YouTube 🕹️ 💜Master Healer Kale with useless party 💙The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu 💚Dinoblade 🧡Rubinite 💛Cosmodrill 💜INSANIO 💙Moss: The Forgotten Relic 💚The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian 🧡Tears of Metal 💛Cat Mail Co. 💜 #IndieGame 💙 #love 💚 #art
neutral · AI labelView post →I really enjoyed The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante. This one kinda hurts, though. I cam across what I suspected to be AI art earlier in the game, but I decided to hedge my bet and move on with the game. Then the more I played, the more I found things that were obviously AI generated. It sucks to see, because the hand-draw style art of the previous game was charming and great. When the AI comes along in this one, it is distracting, and it hurts to see. I hope they make another game, and I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A flawed game worth experiencing... but a disappointing sequel not living up to its potential. Positives: + Beautifully detailed artworks. (0) + Good soundtrack. + Fascinating worldbuilding around the Arknians - to me, the main draw after only getting a glimpse in Brante. + (Some) intriguing characters with atypical arcs. Their archetypes might be familiar; the (sometimes cheeky) way the game subverts your expectations of them, less so. How you deal with these relationships interestingly…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't like the personality system mainly for there being a lack of choices for not being an extremists so you go to one extreme and stay there. I tried to roleplay at first but having a consistent personality is a death sentence in this game so I just meta gamed to see the last chapter, because you won't reach the last chunk of this game due to a civil war game over unless you stop roleplaying unlike with Sir. Brante. The Imperial affairs should have taken a larger role instead, it's fun and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I got to chapter 2 so far and the game is superior in every way to the original. - Bigger story where you play as the future emperor. - More political intrigue with 6 factions - More unpredictable events, as you wrestle with the past, your identity and values, family, friends, romance. A super complex life - Played it in English and the writing is rich and evocative. - More interesting choices as you can sacrifice key resources to pivot in a new direction, going against type. Wonderful…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wow. The writing in this game is so good that it managed to make me feel every emotion possible. I genuinely didn't think they could top the first game so going into this, I was mostly expecting more of the same. Somehow they managed to expand on it without losing what made the first game so special. Well, the scope is bigger and the decisions are heavier, and of course all of that comes from the fact that you are a Prince this time instead of a peasant. But they kept how personal, intimate,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Incredibly frustrating bugs completely forget your game state and choices - as extreme as dead people having happy endings in the epilogue, and logically consistent choices being blocked completely because the game forgot what choice you made before. It was just so discouraging and frustrating I can't face continuing or re-playing to get back to that point, there's no easy way to do that other than fast-forwarding through all the content and hoping the bugs wont recur.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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