In the woods, there is a cabin. In that cabin is a princess. A voice tells you that, should the princess survive, the world is doomed. You, and you alone, can slay the princess and save the world. Why? No, you're not supposed to ask questions; this is just how it is. Is there another path? Is it worth trying to find another path? Is the princess a monster or a victim? Why does the world's fate rest on the murder of a seemingly innocent monarch? Those are all the questions you're asked in Slay the Princess: The Pristine Cut, and none of the answers are as simple as they seem.

At its heart, Slay the Princess is functionally a choose-your-own adventure story. From the moment you start, you're simply choosing options and seeing how the plot advances. The interactivity of the story plays a huge part in how it feels. Basically, you're repeating the same steps: Awaken in the woods in front of the cabin with the omnipresent narrator whispering in your ear about how it is your duty to slay the princess who resides within. From there, you can agree, question, struggle, resist, or otherwise respond within the confines of the world.

The game doesn't always play the same. There's an ongoing narrative that follows each attempt you make to slay (or save) the princess. The way you choose to interact with the princess changes her. Be friendly to her, and she might become friendly to you. Fawn over her nonstop, and she'll become an increasingly vapid caricature who spouts mindless positivity. Threaten her, and she'll become violent, eventually transforming into a predatory beast who views all interactions as hunt or be hunted. There are a huge variety of different outcomes and different takes on the princess, each one leading to its own ending.

This is further amplified by the fact that every time you complete one of the endings, you'll restart in the woods — accompanied by a new voice in your head. These voices tend to reflect the outcome and events of the previous encounters with the princess and provide some conflict and internal monologue. You begin with The Hero, a generic everyman voice, but from there, you'll gradually shift. A protagonist who was killed by the princess may become paranoid of another bad outcome or feel hunted and scared. One who constantly chose to defy the requests of the narrator or the princess may become contrarian. Not only do each of these voices have their own lines and dialogue, but they can also impact your available choices, such as the contrarian voice refusing to allow you to do something because the narrator told you to do it.

Slay the Princess' writing shines on almost every level. The incredibly basic premise works heavily in its favor, since it means it can hit pretty much any tone it needs to. It can be laugh out loud hilarious, intensely horrific, weirdly romantic, and genuinely philosophical all at the same time. The variety in dialogue choices and lines of dialogue mean that there's rarely a moment when I felt like I was repeating the same things despite the fact that is what the game is built around.

For a game with roughly three characters, it helps that each one feels genuinely well realized. The princess is a constantly shifting archetype, but despite that, she feels like a character. You start to realize the various personality traits that continue from personality to personality and how the current version of the princess is a direct reflection of the way she is treated by the player character. It makes her feel like an actual person, which is an incredible trick for someone who is, by definition, always changing. By the time I reached one of the game's endings, I was more than satisfied with the story I got, despite having only seen a small amount of the content. At the same time, I wanted to see more.

However, that is potentially Slay the Princess' only real weakness. It's a very short game if all you want to do is reach the ending and stop. You can probably finish it in two or three hours. It's a very well-paced and constantly engaging three hours, and I'm loathe to consider this a criticism considering the amount of variety and replay value in the game. Yes, it's short, but it's the good kind of short, where you're invested in the story from start to finish, and it never overstays its welcome. The Pristine Cut version of the game adds some extra routes and endings to explore, and more is always welcome.

The game is also carried by incredibly good art and sound direction. The visuals are all presented in a wonderful hand-drawn sketchy black & white art style. Every event, every facial change, every moment is a piece of art. It can look cute as easily as it can look terrifying, and the use of light and shadow manages to make a seemingly innocent game appear to be disturbing. The voice acting is where the game thoroughly shines. Jonathan Sims, best known for The Magnus Archives, and the always excellent Nichole Goodnight provide the voice work for the characters, and both knock it out of the park, putting their experience with podcasting and audio dramas to full work. Goodnight in particular has to carry huge amounts of the game, and she does so fantastically. Sims captures the same world-weary dread he did as the Archivist in The Magnus Archives while also bringing some fantastic humor and drama to the scenes.

Slay the Princess: The Pristine Cut is a masterpiece from start to finish. Every element of the game fires on all cylinders, and it's a great example of how even something as simple as a choose-your-own-adventure story can be elevated by being part of an interactive multimedia medium. The writing, voice acting, artwork and general tone all create something memorable, distinctive and interesting. If that sounds like a game you're interested in, then try out Slay the Princess: The Pristine Cut.

Score: 9.5/10