''The Prince and the Coward'' (Polish: ''Książę i Tchórz'') is a 1998

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

created by fantasy writer Jacek Piekara and video game designer Adrian Chmielarz. It was produced by

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

company

Metropolis Software Metropolis Software was a Polish video game developer founded in 1992 by high school friends Adrian Chmielarz and Grzegorz Miechowski. The studio gained success in Europe with their titles. By the end of 1997, Metropolis had expanded to include ...

in cooperation with the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Revolution Software Revolution Software Limited is a British video game developer based in York, founded in 1989 by Charles Cecil, Tony Warriner, David Sykes, and Noirin Carmody. Company history 1992–1994: ''Lure of the Temptress'' and ''Beneath a Steel Sky'' ...

. A non-official translation in English was released in 2020, and

GOG.com GOG.com (formerly Good Old Games) is a digital distribution platform for video games and films. It is operated by GOG sp. z o.o., a wholly owned subsidiary of CD Projekt based in Warsaw, Poland. GOG.com delivers DRM-free video games through it ...

re-released it in 2021.

Plot

In a

fantasy kingdom The Fantasy Kingdom Complex, commonly known as Fantasy Kingdom, is an entertainment complex in Ashulia, Savar, Bangladesh. Opened on 19 February 2002, the theme park is owned and operated by Concord Entertainment Co. Ltd, a sister concern of Con ...

, a young boy makes a deal with a devil to become a prince. The devil, however, puts his soul in the body of local prince Galador during a duel with a black knight. The boy runs away and hides in the cemetery, where he meets the wizard Arhivald. With his help "Galador" must find his way to hell and reverse his condition.

Gameplay

The title is a 2D

point-and-click adventure game An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or puzzle-solving. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based me ...

. The game is mouse-controlled. When clicking on an item a series of possible interactions appears for the player to choose from.

Critical reception

Galadhor of '' Przygodoskop'' called it the best Polish adventure game, praising its humour and wit. Michal Necasek of ''

Just Adventure ''Just Adventure'' is a computer game website dedicated to the genre of adventure games. Founded in 1997, it publishes reviews and previews of adventure games, as well as opinion articles and interviews with game designers. The site was found ...

'' praised the "unusual, convoluted and interesting", while also complimenting its puzzles. ''Benchmark'' included it in a list of the 100 best games of the twentieth century.

References

Adventure games 1998 video games ScummVM-supported games Video games developed in Poland Windows games Windows-only games Metropolis Software games {{adventure-videogame-stub