I'm a huge fan of this game. It's imaginative, elegant, varied, and beautiful. It's one of the best multiplayer games of the year. But before I recommended it to anyone, I would be sure to mention a couple of important caveats.

I tell you what they are after the jump.

See that screenshot up there? It's the diplomacy screen, where you track each player's score. I'm in a full six-player game against the AI. I'm at the top. As you can see, my score is 132. If you work your way around the ring clockwise, the AI players' scores are 20, 6, 8, 0, and 13. The game is probably about a third of the way over. None of the other players has lifted a finger against me in any meaningful way. No diplomatic initiatives, no attacks, no rituals. I am clearly the biggest threat on the board. Their reaction? No reaction at all. I'm literally just hitting the "next turn" button over and over, watching my score rise.

I've had some closer games, but even then, the AI doesn't seem to understand how to fight a war, or even how to equip its legions with the right artifacts and praetors. It doesn't seem to understand how to use diplomacy. At times, it seems to not understand the actual game design.

This is nothing new in niche strategy games. A functional AI is hard enough. A smart AI that uses all of a game design's tools is even harder. But given this is from the developer of Armageddon Empires, which was a fine single-player game with a functional AI, I'm disappointed that I can't recommend Solium Infernum as anything other than a multiplayer game. An absolutely fantastic multiplayer game, but the operative word is multiplayer. If you do pick up the game and you're looking for opponents, either go here, or post your email address in the comments section below. I'll make sure to help you find other players.

The other thing I would warn you about is that this is not an easy game to understand. There is no tutorial. You're not going to figure it out by shuffling pieces around and checking the tool tips (there aren't any). You will have to read the manual. You will then have to read it a second time. You will then want to have it handy to reference it while you're playing. Solium Infernum is a complex game that will not meet you half way. You have to do the homework.

Those two things said, I cannot recommend this game enthusiastically enough. There are too few strategy games this bold, this true to their subject matter, and this unique in terms of gameplay. Get it here (there's a demo you can try to see if it's the sort of thing you'll like) and I hope to see you on a score board like the one above, but with the numbers a bit more evenly distributed.

(Click here for the previous Solium Infernum game diary.)