Shadows Behind the Throne is a game which places you in the role of an Ancient Evil in a fantasy world. The world is a living breathing system, with nobles constantly bickering and playing politics amongst each other, and nations rising and falling. Initially they are unaware of your presence, allowing you to slip in, with both agents and world-changing powers, and use their politics against them.

The game has multiple interconnected systems. You can play within the political sphere, working to get your enthralled noble to the top of the aristocracy, while at the same time moving agents between the cities of that nation, escaping from hostile agents and spreading madness and shadow wherever they can, while also building up a secret army of Deep Ones beneath the waves, waiting for the time to strike.

Ultimately, you aim to destroy the entire world, or bring it under your shadow. Wide ranges of strategies exist and can be combined to bring about the apocalypse of your choosing. End all life by freezing the world slowly; raise up a dark empire of shadow under your rule; consume all flesh into an Unholy Flesh or, in classic Lovecraftian style, turn a chosen few into fishlike Deep Ones, and the rest into fish food.

The game’s mechanics revolve around the NPCs’ suspicions, fears and knowledge. Manipulate these to your advantage, by preying on their fears and being elected as their `saviour’ from a threat you created; get your opponent agents exiled by placing false evidence; start pointless civil wars over economic issues in order to weaken their armies and allow you to fight them piecemeal…

Shadows is a hobbyist game, developed part time over the past few years, going through various changes and approaches, building on community feedback and gained experience through simply trying various things and seeing what plays well. If you enjoy political intrigue, grand strategy games such as Crusader Kings, turn-based strategy and/or collecting bodies on a cart to raise an army of the dead, this game may be worth a look at.

Check out the associated Youtube channel (link in the Steam sidebar) for a few playthroughs of some of the releases, to get an idea of how the game can be played.