The interactive drama "Road to Empress I", which has set off a worldwide craze for palace intrigue stories, is now part of the Steam Spring Sale 2026. The promotion kicks off on March 19th at 10:00 AM (Pacific Time) with 20% off, and runs for one week.
Since its launch in September, 2025, "Road to Empress I"—developed by interactive drama studio New One Studio—has sold over 1 million copies worldwide. It holds a "Very Positive" rating on Steam and has been widely praised by both critics and audiences. On Metacritic, it scores 83 from critics and 8.9 from users, with coverage and recognition from international outlets such as Polygon, Famitsu, and INVEN.
This work is known for its intense, unforgiving palace survival challenges and tightly written story. The full main storyline runs for nearly 500 minutes and was filmed entirely with live actors in 4K. You take the role of a young woman entering the palace for the first time. Behind the palace's splendor lies a world of intrigue and constant danger. Nearly 400 critical choices drive this adrenaline-pumping story. A single moment of hesitation or a small mistake can lead to disaster, while a bold decision at the right time may open a path forward. Each act of patience, restraint, or retaliation can trigger a chain of events that gradually builds into forces strong enough to alter the fate of the dynasty itself.
To help users around the world fully immerse themselves in this visual feast of Eastern aesthetics, the work supports nine languages: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Thai, German, French, and Spanish. Playback speed can be freely adjusted from 0.5x to 1.5x. You can slow down to catch every subtle hint hidden in the palace intrigue, or move faster to experience the rapid twists and turns of the story. The pace of this perilous journey is entirely up to you.