Affairs of the Court: Choice of Romance
By Heather Albano and Adam Strong-Morse
☆☆☆☆ (6/10)
Affairs of the Court: Choice of Romance is one of the oldest and most iconic Choice of Games titles—and I can see why it made such an impression back in 2013. It’s a lavish, politically charged story full of court intrigue, scheming nobles, forbidden magic, and the ruthless pursuit of power. There’s a lot to admire here: the ambition, the writing quality, and the moral nuance. All stands out, especially for an early COG game. But it’s not the sweeping romantic epic it seems to be. The romance is dry, the world feels underexplored, and the first chapter’s forced path kills replayability. Still, if you’re here for the political drama, the ruthless power plays, and the chance to manipulate royalty like a true mastermind, it’s a fun ride—just don’t expect much heat in the “Affairs” part of the title.
Pros:
The prose. The writing and style are excellent—easily one of the best from that era of ChoiceScript games. The prose is elegant but approachable, the tone dripping with tension and manipulation. Descriptions of characters and feelings are short and sparse, yet I found that the writing mostly lingered enough on the plot without rushing. Very lush. Add in all the DLCs, and the game becomes a pretty meaty experience, long enough to give you room to grow from an ambitious courtier to a powerful force behind the throne.
(Some) player choice. So, for the first two parts, the game is linear-ish. You have your big events, and your choices matter when it comes to how you react to said events and what you do about them. Political choices, notably, had a lot of nuance you can bring to your decisions. You can be completely ruthless, charmingly pragmatic, or generally honorable, and all of those paths feel valid. The game understands that ambition doesn’t always mean cruelty, which I find rare. There are plenty of moments where your choices matter. Deciding whether to kill or spare certain characters and seeing those choices ripple back haunts or helps you later. Even deciding if you’re kind or cruel as a monarch or to your family affects the ending.
LGBT options. It’s surprisingly progressive for a 2013 title. You can pursue same-sex romances freely, and even have biological children as a woman with another woman, which I was surprised at!
Cons:
The illusion of choice—especially early on. The first chapter teases three possible love interests, each with their own intrigue and potential. But if you don’t pick the “right” one, the game literally ends early, telling you to “try again.” It’s jarring and undercuts the entire premise of “choice.” Why offer options at all if there’s only one viable path forward? I don’t mind romancing the Monarch, but others might not.
The (lack) of romance. So “Choice of Romance” in the title implies romance, in my opinion, as broad as the term is. But your two love interests in the first part are clearly the wrong option, and you only get to choose two new LIs in the third part. As such, the relationship isn’t built upon at all; the relationship turns to “longing gazes” then “let’s fuck” pretyyyy quickly. While marriages are political, of course, there’s just not a lot of chemistry between anyone. The main love interest (your king or queen) is … well, a monarch. Prone to violence, jealousy, and wandering eyes. The relationship feels transactional rather than emotional; there’s little of the tension, humor, or chemistry that makes a great romance tick. You don’t flirt, you just pick the optimal option, and the other person basically throws themselves at you. Or you have to beg not to have your head cut off. It’s strong writing—I don’t mind being a Machiavellian type—but for a game supposed to be about romance, there’s very little.
Shallow worldbuilding. The worldbuilding feels a tad undercooked. The Life and Death mages are such a cool concept (potentially fascinating in a world about power, temptation, and control) but they’re barely explored. Your children (and stepdaughter) might as well be furniture; they exist, but they don’t really have a personality. There’s not a lot of interaction with your family to make them feel like family. And while the choices are impactful in some areas, others feel like instant-fail traps if your stats aren’t perfectly aligned.
Rushed endings. I will grant the authors that there are multiple endings based on your decision. But by the time the story ends, it feels rushed, like there were grand ideas that never quite got time to develop. Epilogues and death scenes are short. I had two young sons, then got mind controlled, then had the evil king overthrown by my then teenage sons in the span of a couple pages. That’s … quite a jump, with the “bad end” consequences feeling choppy and jarring.