Strategy-management game set in ice
The Pale Beyond is a premium strategy game for PC made by developer Bellular Studios. It is a management game that features survival elements in its gameplay. In it, players will lead an expedition group through a harsh and cold environment and manage to survive its conditions.
Similar to Frostpunk and Frostpunk 2, The Pale Beyond’s frozen and barren wasteland will challenge players’ ability to adapt and survive its conditions. In addition to keeping everyone alive, they will have to make tough decisions that affect how events unfold and the various interactions they’ll have.
Survive the cold
The Pale Beyond is a management game with survival elements and a mystery adventure in one. It tells the story of the crew of The Viscount sailing through The Pale Passage in search of the absolute magnetic South but mysteriously disappearing into the cold. Its sister ship, The Temperance, is going on the same voyage to look for the lost ship and to find the truth of what happened.
As the reluctant captain, the safety of The Temperance and its crew rests on you. The Polar Winter looms ever closer as you navigate through the ice, and your decisions will impact events and how the story unfolds. Interact with everyone on board to know what they want and keep their morale high. Manage what very little resources you have and make them last for as long as you can.
Intense power struggle
Keeping the crew fed and happy will be a pivotal endeavor in this game. Elections for the next captain will periodically take place, and it will be in your best interest if you have everyone’s favor—the cold pales (pun intended) in comparison to the chaos of mutiny. The gameplay involves Machiavellian and high-stakes decision-making to keep yourself on top. Sometimes, an iron grip is needed when the safety and survival of the crew hang in the balance.
Despite this engaging and suspenseful gameplay, not all of the characters are voice-acted. Such a limitation clearly can make the game less immersive considering the level of interaction required throughout. However, this is compensated by the stimulating soundtrack and sound effects, as well as the well-written dialogue. Another strength of the game lies in its visually appealing art style, which is inspired by historic paintings from the Victorian era.
Chilling to the bone
If you played survival games like Frostpunk and are looking for something of a similar theme, The Pale Beyond is worthy of consideration. Its story is intriguing, the gameplay is engaging, the audio is immersive, and everything is enveloped in a blanket of cold and unrelenting snow that makes for a dreary, yet beckoning experience. Unfortunately, voice-acting all of its characters isn’t feasible for the small studio.
