Dear citizens of the Suzerainverse,

Welcome to our March 2025 Broadcast - a packed update from the world of Suzerain and beyond.

This month, we’re thrilled to give you a closer look into the upcoming 3.1 “Sovereign” Update, sit down with one of our writers for a behind-the-scenes look at crafting epic narrative moments, and reveal how our backend system, Necropolis, will soon be supporting PC players.

We’re taking you behind the scenes of our time at GDC 2025 in San Francisco, where we explored cutting-edge game development with Medianet, discussed The Conformist at EGG Demo Day, and celebrated exciting community milestones on Discord and Reddit.

Let's dive in.

Developer Interview with Writer Adam

Today, we’re sitting down with one of the minds behind the narrative magic of Suzerain, writer Adam.

”Working on the 3.1 update has been an incredible experience. This isn’t just another update—it’s massive, to the point where it almost feels like a full-fledged DLC in its own right. We’re diving deeper than ever into the world of Suzerain, expanding the narrative in ways that make the experience more immersive and engaging. A highlight of this process has been the collaboration within the narrative team.

While major story beats and key details are ironed out in design meetings, the creative freedom we give each other when it comes to scene design is what makes this work so fulfilling. It’s an environment that fosters fresh perspectives and leads to unexpected story moments beyond our expectations. For me, nothing sparks creativity quite like the challenge of bringing a scene to life with the directive: “Make it epic.”

There’s a unique energy that comes from that level of trust to craft something unforgettable. And with 3.1, we’ve done just that. I can’t wait for players to experience it. And in case you were wondering… yes, I delivered the epicness. You’re welcome.”

Necropolis Backend Update – Coming to PC

With the release of Update 3.1, PC players now gain opt-in access to Necropolis, our backend system originally developed for the mobile version of Suzerain. This marks a major step forward in bringing cross-platform continuity to our players.

Necropolis features include:

- Account creation and login
- Cloud save uploads and synchronization
- Cross-play support between PC and Mobile (PC version must be purchased)
- Achievement synchronization with Steam and GOG (Epic Games support planned)

What does cross-play mean for you?
Once you've purchased the PC version, you can transfer your progress and achievements across devices. Mobile players switching to PC can pick up right where they left off, and vice versa. PC achievements even carry over to mobile, unlocking dozens of free story points.

Importantly, this upgrade required no architectural changes. Necropolis remains the same system used on mobile, simply expanded for broader platform support. This ensures a consistent and unified experience, whether you're at your desk or on the go.

One Year of the Kingdom of Rizia

This March marked the first anniversary of the Kingdom of Rizia, a moment that means a great deal to us.

When we released Rizia last year, we invited you into a kingdom on the brink: a newly crowned King, a divided court, and a critical nation wrestling with the weight of its history and the uncertainty of its future in South Merkopa. What followed has been incredible.

Over the past twelve months, you’ve navigated shifting alliances, brokered uneasy truces, and reformed or kept traditions in Rizian society. While we may know every possible outcome, it’s the paths you’ve taken and the meaning you’ve found in them that have brought the story to life.

We’ve been deeply moved by your thoughtful feedback, passionate theories, and the growing community that has formed around the game. Your engagement continues to inspire us as we expand the Suzerainverse.

Thank you for making this first year of the Kingdom of Rizia unforgettable.

Looking Ahead: 3.1 “Sovereign” Open Testing

Excitement has been building around the upcoming 3.1 “Sovereign” Update, and we’re happy to confirm that open testing is coming in the next few weeks!

This will be our first-ever open test for a PC update, and for the first time, PC and Mobile will be tested side-by-side. We’re incredibly excited to bring you into the process earlier than ever before.

Some elements will still be in progress, and a few pieces of content may be missing, but this phase is all about collaboration. During open testing, we’ll be actively working on bug fixes, tuning the balance, and shaping the final release based on your feedback and input.

And yes, we’ve seen a few whispers on our socials. Let’s clear the air: We’ve yet to announce a release date for 3.1, and development is right on track. Sometimes, silence just means we’re deep in the work. 😉

Thank you for your continued trust, curiosity, and sharp eyes. We can’t wait to show you what’s next.

GDC 2024: A Week in San Francisco with Medianet

Ata joined the medianet berlinbrandenburg e.V. delegation in San Francisco for the Game Developers Conference (GDC), the industry’s leading event for game creators worldwide.

The week began with a hands-on workshop at Google, where we explored how their tools can support game development. With guidance from the Google team, we were able to identify user pain points, improve first-time user experiences, and optimize store visibility. The tools provided powerful feedback and were fully customizable, a perfect fit for small teams.

The delegation also visited the headquarters of Twitch, Unity, and PlayStation and Discord for exclusive sessions on platform strategy, engine stability, and indie publishing. A surprise highlight came at Double Fine Productions, where Tim Schafer shared candid insights on industry trends and the studio’s acquisition journey.

The Conformist at EGG Demo Day

A special thank you to Dean Takahashi and the teams at VentureBeat and GamesBeat for covering our presentation at the first-ever EGG Demo Day — an event reimagining how games get funded, led by John Graham, co-founder of Humble Bundle.

We took the stage alongside brilliant minds from the worlds of:

Half-Life, Minecraft, LucasArts, SteamLabs, and Google
Visionaries like Neal Stephenson
Modders from Cities: Skylines
Innovators in VR, AI, and interactive storytelling

We shared new behind-the-scenes screenshots, we were honored to present the vision behind The Conformist, a bold political RPG that blends strategy, simulation, and propaganda mechanics. It’s the next step in our expanding Suzerain Universe.

This is just the beginning for EGG, and for us.

👉 Read the full article here

Community Milestones, 10K on Discord & 25K on Reddit!

Our Discord community just hit 10,000 members, and the Suzerain subreddit crossed 25,000, all thanks to you!

Since we announced Suzerain in 2018, community has been at the heart of everything we do. From feedback to fan art, deep lore to casual chat, it’s the people who make our universe come alive.

A few Reddit highlights from the past year:

31.3M total views (+8.8M YoY)
69.1K avg. uniques/month (+22.4K)
25K subscribers now (+12.4K this year)

Whether it’s political analysis, memes, or theorycrafting, this community is thriving. Let’s keep building, together.

Sneak Peek: New Character Portraits

Here’s a first look at some new art portraits coming in the 3.1 “Sovereign” Update! These characters will play a key role in the upcoming patch, stay tuned for more details.

Until next time, dear citizens. Take care!

Check out our Twitter, Bluesksy, Facebook, Reddit, Discord, and newsletter to get the latest breaking news for Suzerain and The Conformist.

Dear citizens of the Suzerainverse,

Welcome to our February 2025 Broadcast!

Exciting times are ahead! The much-anticipated 3.1 “Sovereign” Update for the Kingdom of Rizia is on the horizon, packed with a range of new content. In this broadcast, we’ll be showing fresh visuals from the update, offering a first look at the latest war mechanics, aircraft systems, economy changes, and more. Stay tuned as we reveal details leading up to launch!

We also have an announcement about the price of the Kingdom of Rizia, along with its biggest discount yet. During the upcoming Steam Spring Sale, you’ll have the chance to pick up the game at its lowest-ever price before a permanent price increase.

Finally, we sat down with our Game Designer Laurence for an exclusive deep dive into the “Sovereign” Update. Let’s explore what’s coming!

Kingdom of Rizia PC Price Increase & Deepest Discount Yet

To reflect the ongoing hard work and continuous improvements to the Kingdom of Rizia on PC, we will be adjusting the price from $9.99 to $14.99 after the launch of the 3.1 “Sovereign” Update. This aligns with the game's depth and development effort while maintaining its value.

Before the price increase, we’re offering a unique opportunity to get Rizia at its best value. During the Steam Spring Sale from March 13 to 20, the game will be available at a 20% discount, its biggest discount ever on PC!

If you’ve been waiting to embark on your royal journey or know someone eager to join the Kingdom, this is the perfect time. Let the Golden Gates of Rizia welcome you as you unravel its story and explore its world before the new update and price increase. A brighter chapter lies ahead, and we can’t wait to experience it with you!

With this change, the PC price will now match the price of the game on mobile, ensuring consistency across platforms.

Developer Interview with Game Designer Laurence

Today, we sit down with Laurence, one of our Game Designers, to dive deep into the latest changes and additions to the game. From refining war mechanics to introducing a brand-new aircraft system, Laurence shares insights into the design process, the challenges faced, and the exciting new strategic possibilities that await players. Let’s hear more about what’s coming in Update 3.1 Sovereign Update!

“Having been part of the Torpor team for a year and a half now, I was lucky enough to work on the war mechanics from the early stages. Over time, I’ve had the chance to refine, expand, and deepen the mechanics, hoping to create a challenging but enjoyable strategic gameplay experience.

With the Sovereign Update, we’re introducing my favorite feature: the aircraft mechanics. This new feature takes war mechanics to new heights—literally—by incorporating air support, airstrikes, and cooldown periods for different actions. Use them strategically or as a last-ditch effort.

Another key focus of the update was improving accessibility. We realized the war production panel wasn’t as intuitive as we wanted. To address this, we added a short tutorial to help players make the most of the feature early on.

Beyond warfare, I also had the opportunity to implement multi-tiered decisions that build on each other. I love including small moments of humor—tiny nods or bits of jest—to provide some levity without detracting from the game’s serious themes.

Seeing players engage with the mechanics we’ve worked so hard on is always the most rewarding part of the process. I can’t wait for everyone to dive into Sovereign and experiment with the war mechanics from a fresh perspective.”

Upcoming Feature: Archetype Selection

With the 3.1 Sovereign Update, we're introducing the Archetype Selection feature, allowing players to carry over past choices in a new way. When starting a Sordland or Rizia Story, those who prefer not to replay a previous one can now select an Archetype to define the protagonist’s past decisions.

Each Archetype has a title and characteristics describing their personality and political orientation, shaping the impact they would have had. For example:

“When I start my new run through the Kingdom of Rizia but don’t feel like replaying Suzerain, I can select an Archetype to represent Anton Rayne. In this run, I’m feeling a little chaotic, so my President Rayne Archetype will be a radical reformer who aggressively opposed the Old Guard. This will shape how the past influences the present in my new playthrough.”

If you have completed a previous Story, you can also select your own past playthroughs as an Archetype, allowing your unique decisions to carry over without needing to replay. We can’t wait to see how players use this feature to craft new narratives!

Upcoming Feature: Economy Graph

We’re also making key improvements to how the economy is displayed in Suzerain. Inspired by community feedback, the “Sovereign” Update will introduce two major changes:

The top-left HUD indicator will now clearly display four distinct states of economic health: Danger, Unstable, Stable, and Growing.
A new Economic Growth Graph panel will track how your economy changes over time, displaying real economic variables from your playthrough.

These additions will make it easier than ever to understand and react to Sordland’s economy.

Sneak Peek: New Character Portraits

Until the next update, take care!

Check out our Twitter, Bluesksy, Facebook, Reddit, Discord, and newsletter to get the latest breaking news for Suzerain and The Conformist.

Dear citizens of the Suzerainverse,

Welcome to the January 2025 Broadcast!

As we step into the new year, we want to thank you for being an essential part of our journey. Your support and passion make everything we do possible. 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year, with new stories, challenges, and ideas on the way. We’re committed to bringing you meaningful and memorable experiences in the Suzerain Universe.

Thank you for being here with us. Let’s make 2025 extraordinary, together!

Behind the Scenes of the 3.1 Update with Rachel, Lead Writer

With the upcoming 3.1 update, Rizia is evolving in exciting ways, including new content and deeper character arcs... But what does it take to refine a world as intricate as Rizia? We asked Rachel, one of our lead writers, to share a glimpse into the writing process behind this update.

"As a lead writer on Rizia, working on the 3.1 update has been a bit like renovating a house – you’re knocking down walls and getting sawdust all over the floor, and at first glance, it’s a huge mess, and you wonder whether you shouldn’t have just left things the way they were. But the more you keep working on it, the more things come together, and the more excited you get about all the additions and improvements. One epic new scene in particular nearly melted the entire writing team’s collective brains, but now that it’s just about done, I can’t imagine the game without it."

"On a gentler note, one of the things I’ve been enjoying about the update is the opportunity to flesh out characters who didn’t get enough love the first time around. Recently, I’ve been giving a glow-up to everyone’s favorite capitalist, Russello “Rusty” Montoro. The Rizian Royal Gold CEO is still obnoxious, but he can now turn into a powerful ally or a powerful enemy – just like his real-world counterparts."

Google Play Pass

For those looking for new ways to experience Suzerain, we’re excited to share that it will be available on Google Play Pass starting February 10th! If you're a subscriber, you can play at no extra cost and dive straight into the political intrigue of President Rayne’s journey.

Adventure Games Podcast DLC Awards

The year is starting well! We won Best Adventure Game DLC at the AGP Adventure Games of the Year Awards 2024 for the Suzerain: Kingdom of Rizia!

It’s a true honor to have our work recognized alongside such incredible studios and games. During the awards, podcast host Seoirse shared that Suzerain and Kingdom of Rizia were among his favorite experiences of all time. One of the other guests even joked that they “lost Seoirse for a month” in the game. We have to shout out to our narrative team, Rachel Glassberg, Adam Sharp, Ilke Karademir, Laurence Marie Gilbertz for all the amazing work done on the DLC story and narrative design.

Click on the image to watch the video.

Games as a Catalyst for Change: Torpor Games at Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung

This past month, our Co-founder and Creative Director, Ilke Karademir, had the honor of joining the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung—affiliated with Germany's Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD), to discuss an important topic close to our hearts: the intersection of games and politics.

At the event, Ilke shared insights into Torpor Games' mission and vision, exploring how interactive media can empower players with agency, spark meaningful dialogue, and inspire change. Through our work, we aim to show that games are more than entertainment; they’re a platform for critical thinking and engagement with real-world issues.

The conversation highlighted the unique power of storytelling in games to challenge perspectives, foster understanding, and drive discussions around democracy, policy, and societal impact.

At Torpor Games, we’re proud to contribute to this movement, and we thank the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung for providing a space to exchange ideas on how games can make a difference.

Suzerainverse Tarot

Last but not least, we want to give a huge shoutout to a talented member of our community, Dy, for creating an incredible Suzerainverse-inspired tarot card! 🌟 Your creativity and dedication continue to amaze us.

We love seeing how the Suzerain Universe inspires you, and we encourage all of you to share your art with us! Whether it’s fan art, music, or anything else that brings this world to life, we’d be thrilled to showcase your creations in future broadcasts.

Thank you for being such an inspiring and creative community!