Dark Queen of Mortholme Flips the Script: Playing as the Boss Feels Incredibly Fresh

Imagine you’re the infamous boss in a soulslike. Instead of another doomed dash into a cathedral, you’re defending your throne as a so-called “hero” keeps banging their head against your impossible odds. That’s the twisted, darkly funny premise behind The Dark Queen of Mortholme-a new indie on Steam that grabbed my attention the second I saw its pitch. After years of being on the wrong end of FromSoftware’s nastiest brutes, it feels oddly cathartic to finally be on the other side of that endless boss run… but it’s not what you expect.

Key Takeaways for Real Gamers

• Flips the soulslike formula: you play as the boss facing a persistent hero.
• Your actions and conversations shape a branching narrative with multiple endings.
• Pixel art brings legit indie style-think Blasphemous or Nine Sols vibes.
• Short, single-sitting experience (with meaningful choices), and currently under $5.

Why This Indie Twist Works (and Might Be What the Genre Needed)

The indie scene is usually where the freshest ideas bubble up, and Mosu’s Dark Queen of Mortholme is proof. Soulslikes have always been about adversity, but that’s almost always from the underdog’s POV. Flipping it-making the “final boss” the protagonist—is clever and overdue. The game acknowledges what every Dark Souls vet has quietly wondered: how does it feel to be the giant monster waiting for some hero to keep reappearing, dying, and never giving up?

Unlike the usual rhythm where you chip away at a boss’s health, here you’re wielding power but facing something more insidious: persistence. The hero keeps coming back, and after a few victorious fights, things get interesting—because you actually start talking to each other. This is where Dark Queen really surprised me. The relationship that forms isn’t just window dressing; your choices in conversation actually branch the story in meaningful ways. This goes beyond just “good” vs. “bad” endings. It adds layers of psychology and even a flash of reluctant camaraderie (or something deeper) with your supposed enemy.

Storytelling Meets Action—and the Right Length for One Sitting

Plenty of indie games struggle to balance narrative ambition with actual gameplay. Mortholme walks that tightrope surprisingly well, at least from my first playthrough. The action doesn’t aim to be a hardcore test of dexterity like an actual FromSoftware fight, so if you came in expecting blistering boss mechanics, temper those hopes. Instead, the focus is on using your evolving arsenal strategically and reacting to the hero’s persistence—almost like a psychological chess match. The game’s gorgeous retro-pixel aesthetic instantly reminded me of Blasphemous, though the tone is less gothic horror and more melancholic fairy tale.

Crucially, this isn’t an 80-hour marathon. The Dark Queen of Mortholme is built for a satisfying single-sitting experience. There’s no padding, and you can easily fit it between bigger titles or use it as a palate cleanser when another big-budget RPG is wringing you dry. At its launch price of $4.79 (20% off until August 22), it’s a no-brainer for fans seeking something different that won’t devour their entire weekend.

The Indie Impact: Subverting Tropes and Embracing Fresh Ideas

If you follow the indie scene, you’ll know we’re in a golden age for shorter, weirder, and more reflective games—but few directly poke at the tropes we all take for granted like Mortholme does. By letting you make choices as the “villain,” it asks real questions: Do you keep fighting? Can two eternal rivals connect, or is the cycle unbreakable? This kind of subversion is what keeps indie gaming alive and relevant. It’s the sort of risk major studios avoid, and honestly, it’s refreshing as hell to see someone try it.

My only real skepticism? Whether that narrative depth holds up for multiple playthroughs. Multiple endings are great on paper, but we’ve seen plenty of games where the changes are more cosmetic than substantial. Still, at $5, it’s a risk I’ll happily take—and if nothing else, it’s already made me rethink every boss I’ve ever fought. Maybe next time I’ll hesitate before gleefully rolling under a giant’s swinging axe.

TL;DR: A Boss Battle Worth Experiencing

The Dark Queen of Mortholme is a clever, indie soulslike twist where you play the boss, not the hero. It’s a short but punchy pixel adventure blending action and branching storytelling, and at under $5 during launch, it’s hard not to recommend for anyone ready to see the soulslike genre with fresh eyes. Don’t sleep on it—these are the experiments that keep gaming interesting.