Queen of Clubs’ October 14 development update outlined the upcoming Early Access build, with the developer still testing the content planned for the 29th. It also described plans for a lighter, more polished demo update. That demo update was scheduled for October 19.
An October 26 announcement details a pre-release demo patch. Roguelike difficulty now scales with nights played in that mode rather than the total day count, fixing the steep penalty for entering later in the story. Merchant Princess and Babs now show full item descriptions, including stats and extra effects, before purchases or conjuring; those descriptions also appear in the loot section.
This is the second game from the team behind Princess & Conquest. The main storyline follows the development of your tavern as you become increasingly involved with members of the Royal Family. Side content gives you another pursuit alongside that storyline: unlocking all the animations in the gallery. The developer says the Act 3 ending is already in the works.
The demo patch also makes Dragon Princess I’s objective in the “Queen of Clubs” quest show the days remaining and how many Swirlies she wants each time. Failing to pay her on her first visit no longer incorrectly marks her quest step as complete. On her return payment day, she now stays in the tavern for the evening instead of leaving when you rest.
Each boss changes how the shift works rather than simply adding a longer health bar. Some items now require you to beat those bosses before you can obtain them. The developer says the Dragon Princess VI fight is already coded and plans to add it shortly after the 29th.
Beyond running the tavern, the developer promises events and new systems that will test players in different ways. Replayability and minigames are development goals, alongside the scenes and artwork.
Early Access Plans
There’s no fixed Early Access duration: the developer’s answer is “As long as it needs to.” The promised additions include scenes for every Princess and the “Queen of Clubs” ending.
The October 29 announcement confirmed that Queen of Clubs had entered Early Access at $14.99 with a 10% launch discount. The launch announcement also confirmed that the demo remains available. The earlier development update had scheduled the updated demo for October 19 alongside Steam Next Fest.
The October 30 hotfix adds a safeguard for drink requests: when a request has less than four seconds remaining, each counter refill has a 50% chance to carry the requested drink. It also fixes Faun Princess’s pickup of drinks grabbed with less than half a second remaining before their counter expiration, which could fail to load after the pickup animation.
The October 31 update brought another round of fixes. A new Options toggle lets you turn autosaves off, but Roguelike runs always save. Refusing the tavern repair at Merchant’s counter no longer raises the price next time. Dragon Princess I’s Scorched Key is now handed back if it goes missing in Chapter 3. The update also fixes a freeze when skipping the day or opening a Mystery Box on late saves that own almost every item. Merchant slots now show SOLD OUT instead of locking up.
Drinks, upgrades, quest pieces and boss rewards are documented for players to consult. The public Tavern Compendium also covers every item, princess and effect, with nothing gated.
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Images: © Towerfag / Critical Bliss