Developed by Graeme Borland, Sort the Court! is a text-based simulator video game, available for the Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux operating systems. Players take on the role of king or queen and focus on building a thriving kingdom. It's simple controls ensure that many different players find it accessible. Start off as the ruler of a small village on the throne. Villagers and others present problems. As the game progresses, more advanced and unique issues arise. With only the ability to say yes or no, communities can take a turn for the worst at any given moment.
The video game is built on the Unity engine. It runs in a variety of browsers across many platforms. Its concept is straightforward on the surface but has many layers. The hand-drawn style art adds charm to villagers, workers, and the countless others that come to the king or queen. They may want counsel, money, or decrees.
Sort the Court! Features
The complex decisions in this video game are foiled against the black and white options presented to players. There are three resources to balance: population, happiness, and money. Striking the perfect amount in each of these items is pleasantly challenging. Village buildings break down. The king or queen decides to fix it and make the people happy or saves the money and leaves it broken. Villagers may choose to leave as a result, or happiness drops because they are homeless. Be a rich miser who rules with an iron fist. Have an indebted kingdom with wildly happy inhabitants.
The art is really adorable. Meet a stately wizard equipped with a dangerous looking staff. Have encounters with the mysterious "Molder", a conspiracy-loving blob with tales to tell of aliens. Be prepared for a truly charming cast of characters. Their problems need solutions, and the king or queen is the one to provide. Expect lots of pop culture references in between balancing the happiness, size, and wealth of the cute group of villagers. Players can even save their progress in this browser-based game with a small downloadable add-on for free.
In Summary
Sort the Court! uses a random number generator to create unique and rarely repeatable interactions. While the concept is simple, players will find themselves invested in the growth of their kingdoms through a variety of paths. Rule a miserable group of peasants with full coffers, or spoil citizens with entertainment and luxuries. Meet interesting travelers like wizards, monsters, and other rulers. Expect the unexpected while listening to requests and trying to build an expansive kingdom to rule over. By only being able to answer thumbs up or thumbs down, players get to experience ultimatums in their most extreme forms. The nuances that this creates in the randomly generated experiences makes for a time-consuming browser-based video game that can be enjoyed time and time again!
