A closed test will hand out access at random and includes the full first chapter.
Schisma Games has opened sign-ups for a closed playtest of its RPG The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian, letting selected players try the entire first chapter ahead of release.
The studio is clear about what it wants from the test. They are looking for broad feedback on the feel of the experience, what lands, what does not, and what should change before launch.
Prince Jerian is a narrative role-playing game set in the same universe as The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante, but it follows a different lead and a different kind of pressure. Jerian is the crown prince of the Blessed Arknian Empire, born into power, raised for rule, and forced to live with the cost of every decision.
The setting leans hard into rigid social structure, with society divided into Lots by the Twins, the gods who define what people are allowed to be. The story is built around Jerian’s lifelong rise, starting in childhood, pushing toward the moment he takes the Emperor’s authority for himself.
The game’s core conflict reads like a political knife fight where personal identity never gets a clean break from statecraft. The empire’s estates are at odds, the treasury is drying up, noble houses cling to tradition, commoners push for equal rights, and the church is presented as a major force shaping public life.
Jerian has to navigate that pull from every direction while choosing allies whose support comes with tradeoffs, since helping one group can burn standing with another. It is framed as a choice matter structure with multiple endings and strong replay value, with the player steering both the direction of the empire and the shape of Jerian himself.
There is a second layer tied to Jerian’s role as Primate, a figure meant to connect the living world with the divine through a pact between the Twins and their chosen keepers.
That gives the story a religious and metaphysical track alongside the court politics, with the pact treated as something that might be changeable, but not without consequences for the wider world. The store description positions the new entry as inheriting some of Sir Brante’s gameplay foundations while adding mechanics that fit a protagonist who is being shaped as a ruler from birth.
The announcement of the playtest went up a few hours ago, with the team saying access will be limited, closed, and handed out randomly to people who request it through the Steam page. If you get picked, Steam will notify you through the email tied to your account, and the studio plans to share the moment the build actually goes live in a separate post.
Release timing for the full game is still simply marked as coming soon, so this first chapter playtest is the closest look yet at how its branching decisions and long arc structure actually feel in play. Below is the trailer.
