Guide a princess through a medieval town, unlock buildings and cure villagers with potions that match their illness.
Princess of Corinium is a short adventure seen from above, set in a medieval town during an outbreak of plague. Rats are running loose and biting the locals, and you play a princess who decides to help. There are no swords here. You walk between buildings, gather coins, open chests and use potions to heal anyone who falls ill.
The game was made for the 2023 js13k contest, where the theme was the 13th century, and the town is drawn in tidy pixel-art tiles.
Getting around
Click or tap a spot and the princess heads over by herself, picking a path around fences, trees and walls. Stand on a sign to read what a building is.
The outdoor map connects to seven indoor rooms, such as the wizard’s shop, the castle, the church and the homes of the beekeeper and the blacksmith. Some rooms have stairs up to another floor. Most doors start out locked. A key opens one door permanently and is used up in the process. Keys turn up around the village or fall out of treasure chests, which pop open as soon as you step on them. Each chest gives one item, either a key, a coin or a potion.
Doors, stairs and shop items only react once the princess stops walking on them, so pick the exact tile and let her arrive.
Curing the sick
Rats chase the villagers, and every bite lowers a villager’s health. Once someone drops below 80 percent, they start dripping one color: red, green or blue. Bump into them while carrying a matching potion and they are cured. A white potion works on any color.
In the wizard’s shop, colored potions cost 2 coins each and white ones cost 5. If a villager’s health runs out completely, they turn into a ghoul and wander the churchyard. Some shy townsfolk will run off when you approach, which can make a cure tricky.
Strategy notes
- Buy colored potions most of the time. They cost less than half as much as white ones.
- Keep one white potion on hand for emergencies when you do not have the right color.
- Look at the color a villager is dripping before you spend coins.
- Spend keys on the buildings you actually need to reach.
- Route around monsters instead of rushing past them, since they only give chase when you are nearby.
Good to know
A corner panel tallies your keys and coins and lists the potions in your bag. Check it before you head to the shop.
Controls
| Action | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|
| Walk to a spot (the princess finds a route) | Left-click the spot | Tap the spot |
| Enter a building or climb stairs | Click the door or ladder and stop on it | Tap the door or ladder |
| Buy a potion in the shop | Walk onto the potion and stand still | Tap the potion |
Princess of Corinium FAQ
Can I play Princess of Corinium on a phone or Chromebook?
Yes. Every action is a single click or tap, so a Chromebook trackpad, a mouse or a touchscreen all work. The camera follows the princess as she walks. The screen is wide, so turn a phone or tablet sideways for the best view.
How do I finish the game?
Collect every coin, potion and treasure chest in the village and its rooms, not counting the items for sale in the shop. Once the last one is picked up, a message tells you the village has been saved. Reloading the page starts a new game.
Is there fighting?
No. The princess has no weapon. Spiders, bats, ghosts and cyclops monsters will chase you and drain your health bar, but your only choice is to steer around them. They only follow when you get close.
Is it a one-player game?
Yes. You control the princess alone, and there is no second player. The villagers, rats and monsters all move by themselves around you, so the town feels busy even though you are the only one giving orders.
