Road to Empress Ⅱ
Play as the protagonist in this live-action interactive palace survival drama! Take a dynasty's fate into your own hands in Road to Empress II, the new content of the global hit. Defy fate, navigate intrigue, and claim the throne of power. You decide it all!
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Road to Empress I on Steam
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You've never played a game like this before. Road to Empress I is a cinematic palace adventure where your choices decide everyone's fate. Tackle multiple story branches and a high mortality rate with charm, wisdom and courage? First...survive.
Road to Empress I is a choices matter, fmv and female protagonist game
developed by New One Studio
and published by New One Studio and Ariel.
Released on September 08th 2025 is available on Windows, Steam Deck and Steam Machine
in 9 languages: English, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Traditional Chinese, French, German and Spanish - Spain.
It has received 11,857 reviews of which 10,197 were positive and 1,660 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.4 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 7.19€ on Steam.
The Steam community has classified Road to Empress I into these genres:
Choices Matter
FMV
Female Protagonist
RPG
Story Rich
Visual Novel
Immersive Sim
Multiple Endings
Adventure
Historical
Interactive Fiction
Cinematic
Singleplayer
Dating Sim
Indie
LGBTQ+
Simulation
Casual
Strategy RPG
Here is the detailed breakdown of supported languages for Road to Empress I:
| UI | Subtitle | Audio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | |||
| German | |||
| French | |||
| Korean | |||
| Spanish - Spain | |||
| Simplified Chinese | |||
| Traditional Chinese | |||
| Thai | |||
| Japanese |
Media & Screenshots
Get an in-depth look at Road to Empress I through various videos and screenshots.
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System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10 / Windows 11
- Processor: Intel Core i3 or AMD equivalent
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: Dedicated Graphics Card
- DirectX: Version 11
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 10 GB available space
Steam Price & Best Deals
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
Would you like some doomed yaoi? Palace drama? Camp characters you can throw in-game eggs and roses at to put them on the faves leaderboard? Countless deaths (so much poisoned soup, man)? Tiny mistakes that get you sliced in half at every twist and turn? Tragedy over 9000? Then you're in luck! Have fun, enjoy the scheming, let's see if you survive the climb to the top :p I do wish they hadn't used gen-AI for the illustrations in certain scenes (mostly side content). We would've gladly accepted paying a bit more for the game had you just recorded the scenes or hired an artist to draw those clips out.
Road to Empress is the perfect game for C-drama enjoyers, making it engaging and exceptional even for fans of FMV Writing & Plot Road to Empress is a captivating interactive cinematic drama inspired by Wu Zetian, the only female sovereign in Chinese history. In this immersive tale, you take on the role of Wu Yuanzhao, a young woman who enters Taiji Palace during the Tang Dynasty, starting her journey as a fifth-rank imperial consort and working her way up as an empress. As Yuanzhao navigates the palace life, she quickly distinguishes herself through her sharp intellect, talents, and alluring beauty. Her presence does not go unnoticed, and she finds herself at the center of dangerous schemes. Drawing the attention of powerful royal individuals who are threatened by her potential and use her as a pawn in their game. To protect herself, Yuanzhao must utilize her intelligence and ruthlessness to manipulate her enemies and stay ahead of them while choosing the right allegiances and seeking revenge and justice for those she cares about. As the story unfolds, it reveals contrasting themes of trust and betrayal, where enemies become allies and vice versa. A single choice can lead to multiple outcomes, including numerous deaths, as well as some alternative endings, such as becoming a physician outside the palace. Although the game initially follows a linear plot based on historical events, it diverges in the final chapter, which, in my opinion, suggests more paths. This made me excited about how the narrative will unfold in an alternative reality. The narrative does not serve as a historical lesson; instead, it creates an authentic and engaging fiction based on historical facts to immerse the players in the experience. The script is thoughtfully written, offering a broad range of dialogue depending on the players' choices. For instance, the protagonist faces difficult decisions where she must choose between being ruthless and using an ally’s weakness to control them or showing mercy, hoping they will choose to support her willingly. This dynamic makes the protagonist and all characters feel realistic. Furthermore, the actors deliver a remarkable performance, conveying the story through subtle expressions and tones that reflect the players' selections. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3713216720 Aesthetics & visuals The cinematography and visuals in Road to Empress are stunning. Given that it is a Chinese drama, the production quality is impressive, making it enjoyable to watch in 4k resolution. Set in the Taiji palace, the game beautifully captures the vibrant scenery of historical settings, with cherry blossoms gently falling and birds chirping among the trees. It contrasts sharply with the mischievous and scheming royals, adding a layer of irony to the breathtaking palace surroundings. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3713219763 Gameplay Mechanics For an FMV game, the UI is easy to navigate and offers a variety of options, presenting four main menus: Storyline, Characters, Collectibles, and Leaderboards. In the Storyline menu, you can view your progress represented in a tree structure that illustrates the branching choices you have made. The structure highlights the current path you are playing in gold, accompanied by a butterfly icon at the exact node or scene where you left off. Explored branches are displayed in a darker color, making it easy to identify the routes you have already taken. Additionally, the tree structure views unexplored options with branches that do not have ending nodes, allowing for effortless discovery of unplayed routes. During video sequences, quick time events are present, offering different outcomes based on your performance; missing or completing an action can lead to varying scenes. Moreover, past choices are marked with a flower icon on the left side, which helps you to identify the options that you haven't selected yet. You can also revisit all chapters by clicking a button below in the menu. The game even rewards you with coins for fully exploring each chapter. If you encounter a normal or bad ending, you can listen to voice messages from the characters, which sometimes reveal their evil nature and ambitions. Additionally, you can spend your coins to obtain tips that can guide you towards making better choices. At the end of each chapter, there is a trait sketch map based on the first choice you make during key route events. This map analyses your personality and provides you with a set of keywords and a final extended result at the end of the game. While it is not an official psychological test, it adds an impressive and fun element. I think it serves as a thoughtful way to praise the players, and I was touched by the result I received. The characters' menu presents a summary of each character and contains additional scenes and flashbacks. Some videos showcase events from a particular character's perspective and provide cheat information, such as learning an enemy's weak spot, as well as bloopers from the DLC. The collectibles menu displays the items featured during gameplay, which may include hairpins, amulets, and books. These provide further information or insights about their significance, along with some historical entries found in the wiki section. In the leaderboards menu, you can upvote or downvote the characters with eggs and flowers, which brings up the small microtransaction part here. Beyond voting, it does not provide anything else, so it’s safe to say no additional purchase is needed to enjoy the game. There is also a feats section, which is an in-game achievement that rewards you with coins, flowers, or eggs if you achieve a certain mission in the game, and most of them you get while progressing. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3722420063 Conclusion & Final Thoughts If you’re a c-drama fan, eager for subtle romance and palace intrigue, then this game will captivate you as it did with me. There is so much to explore and enjoy as you get eager for the alternative endings. The music perfectly sets the tone for the setting, and the performance is outstanding, featuring familiar actors here. I can’t recommend it enough because it’s elegant in its presentation of the customs of the period, its plot, and its cinematic scenes. Follow for more detailed recommendations on my curator page [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45628294/]Raghad's Favorite .<𝟑 .ᐟ Follow our Curator page, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41449676/]Summit Reviews , to see more high quality reviews regularly.
My road to Road to Empress began with confusion over why Youtuber Welonz was featuring a C-drama on her gaming channel, haha. After clicking through and realizing Road to Empress was an interactive FMV that basically let a gamer play through a melodramatic, lethal C-Drama, I purchased a copy. It was WILD to play Road to Empress after playing Phantasmagoria 2 earlier this year. Phantasmagoria was at the very beginnings of the FMV genre. Road to Empress is the vibrant present. From the sets and costumes to the slick UI and accessible decision flow chart, Road to Empress is like the iPhone-toting great-granddaughter to Phantasamgoria ’s venerable Super 8 ancestor. I was wow-ed at every turn and deeply invested in the narrative. Like, to the point that my “analysis” brain shut off because I simply sat back and enjoyed. A rare occurrence! The descriptor “interactive cinematic experience” is extremely apt. A big hook to the game is romance, and I want to applaud, bow, and throw flowers at New One Studio’s absolute steel ovaries for including queer characters and storylines. The gay romance got me reaching for fluffy danmei to cope. One of my favorite normal endings involves Wu Yuanzhao settling down with her lady love. To continue the game, however, the player must choose between the two princes, who have their own unique charms. The Prince of Wei, Li Tai is a scheming tsundere who is fun to fluster. The Prince of Jing, Li Zhi is Wu Yuanzhao’s historically accurate husband, and his softer touch offers hope for a softer epilogue. I watched in fascination the hundred subtle ways the narrative bends to point the player to Li Zhi and am intrigued how the sequel will navigate the significant branching. While there is romance, Road to Empress is primarily a dark comedy palace intrigue, where half the point is to explore the numerous hilarious death scenarios. Step out of the dark camp mindset, and it’s absolutely ghoulish how we’re laughing and finding entertainment in a woman dying over and over and over. Through the sharp hair pins, poisoned soup, and strangulation-happy hands, the game emphasizes how horrifying life as a concubine is, no matter the rank. The Rear Palace women perpetuate the deadly patriarchal politics that they’re also suffering from. Like, the cycle of revenge never ends, because every generation continues it. Quite far into the story, a character makes an AMAZING speech about how people, especially women, are being used and abused for fragile male egos. The narrator has a line later that everyone is a prisoner and executioner of society’s norms. As a writer, what superb storytelling and writing! As a fan, I’m like, NOOOOOO I WANT A HAPPY ENDING FOR EVERYONE T.T One last shout out for the acting! Going Achievement hunting and watching all the alternate scenes made us recognize the serious acting chops on display, especially Huang Yi’s Wu Yuanzhao. If you like palace novels, murderous MILFs, toxic yuri, camp horror, and courtly romance, check out Road to Empress ! I eagerly await the sequel!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Road to Empress I is currently priced at 7.19€ on Steam.
No, Road to Empress I is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 7.19€ on Steam.
Yes, Road to Empress I received 10,197 positive votes out of a total of 11,857 achieving a rating of 8.39.
😎
Road to Empress I was developed by New One Studio and published by New One Studio and Ariel.
Yes, Road to Empress I is playable and fully supported on Windows.
No, Road to Empress I is not playable on MacOS.
No, Road to Empress I is not playable on Linux.
Yes, Road to Empress I is playable on Steam Deck, though it might require a few minor tweaks. Make sure to check the Steam store page and community feedback on ProtonDB for exact compatibility details.
Yes, Road to Empress I is playable on Steam Machine, though it might require a few minor tweaks. Make sure to check the Steam store page and community feedback on ProtonDB for exact compatibility details.
No, Road to Empress I does not support VR.
Road to Empress I is a single-player game.
Yes, there is a DLC available for Road to Empress I. Explore additional content available for Road to Empress I on Steam.
No, Road to Empress I does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
No, Road to Empress I does not support Steam Remote Play.
Yes, Road to Empress I is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Road to Empress I.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 27 September 2026 09:31 UTC |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 22 October 2026 16:46 UTC |
| Steam price | 28 October 2026 15:32 UTC |
| Steam reviews | 18 October 2026 16:07 UTC |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Road to Empress I, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Road to Empress I
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Road to Empress I concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Road to Empress I compatibility
Game modes
Features
Online players
51
Developer
New One Studio
Publisher
New One Studio,
Ariel
Release
08 Sep 2025
Platforms