Satire or sense, alas! Can Sporus feel?
Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?
-Alexander Pope, Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot
I belong to the king. Not just because he bought me, but because I choose it. And as long as he wants me, I'll be his, and his alone. And you know what? I do love him … how's that for a transaction?
-Mistress Nell Gwyn, The Last King
Decadence, tragedy, and most of all love. This is awesome!
-Rose Bailey, Fantasy Heartbreaker
Butterfly on the Wheel is a beautifully designed experience that treats the topic of scandal with surprising emotional depth and impressive replay value. If you enjoy courtly drama you owe it to yourself to play this absolute treat of a game.
-Halden Ingwersen, Recreational Cannibalism
Butterfly on the Wheel is a singleplayer journaling analog game about loving a malicious Monarch to tragedy. You play the Paramour, a low-ranking noble or commoner who is chosen by the Monarch, and chooses them above all else. In this game, you will love and lose over a series of three Dispensations, each with four Scenes.
When the Monarch falls, the Paramour is in danger. You must be careful.
All you need to play this game is a full set of D&D dice, writing implements or a word processor, and time.
Content Note:
This game is about loving a powerful and wicked tyrant. As such, the text contains themes of abuse, state violence, classism, repression, suicide, and war. Depending on how you interpret the prompts, your playthrough may contain other dark themes. Please take care when engaging with this game — you know your own limits best.