The Court Jester

The Court Jester is Steel River Games first commercial product. The game stars Domitian, a court jester who seeks to kill the emperor in order to seize power for himself. But when his plan nearly gets him killed, Domitian makes a pact with a fallen god who grants him powerful magical abilities to help him seize the throne.

In addition to incinerating enemy soldiers and priests with dark magic, players can also turn wounded foes into Ghouls, who will fight at the player's side for a set amount of time. The strength and aggressiveness of the Ghoul depends on the type of enemy killed. This means that every battle can yield a new ally for the player to use.

The Court Jester also has a unique and memorable storyline that can have a dark feel to it one minute and make you laugh the next (you do control a power hungry clown after all). Plot developments also occur during the levels instead of just through cutscenes between stages.