Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew — Everything We Know

Davy Jones’ locker won’t be the only thing wallowing at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea this year, thanks to  Mimimi Games’ latest stealth-strategy vessel Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew gracing the shores. Turns out, there’s a new ghostly ship loitering along the ocean floor, and it’ll be looking to invite us aboard for the voyage of a lifetime. Or at least, so it would appear in its recent launch trailer that aired just a few weeks back, anyway.

So, what exactly is this so-called Cursed Crew, and how will it play a role in the nautical excursion of Shadow Gambit? Or better yet, how will it represent the Golden Age of Piracy in a time where—let’s face it—the gaming community already has a litter of poster children sailing amok? Well, here’s everything we’ve been able to scrape together on the matter since first catching wind of it a few months back. Let’s talk, cap’n.

What Is Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew?

We’ll get straight down to brass tacks and fill out the blanks. Just what is Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, and what can we expect to see come of its nautical blueprint and alternate version of the Golden Age of Piracy period?

To put it short, it’s a stealth-based strategy game, and one that’ll take its passengers aboard the Red Marley—a ghost ship filled to the hull with the wandering souls of its former crew. It is here, among the spirits and bound for a mysterious treasure nestled behind the Inquisition, that you will take your place; a pirate as equally as gold-hungry in death as in life.

In the words of Mimimi Games: “We are finally ready to lift the curtain – or the Jolly Roger, which would be more fitting – on what we’ve been cooking as our Codename Süßkartoffel all this time.”

“In our new stealth strategy game, you will join a ghost ship with a living soul and assemble a cursed pirate crew. Embrace supernatural powers to defy the menacing army of the Inquisition, who stands between you and the mysterious treasure of the legendary Captain Mordechai.” Mysterious treasure? Lost souls? Supernatural powers? Color us intrigued.

Story

Shadow Gambit transports you to the Lost Caribbean, a sunken world haunted by the Curse of Lost Souls. As one of said cursed souls, you will be in charge of manning your own vessel and rallying a pirate crew to seek out the sacred treasure of Captain Mordechai. The bad news is, the Lost Caribbean has been liberated by the Inquisition, a supernatural-hating army who’d give an arm and a leg to protect what rests between the forsaken shores.

“Embark on a journey with cursed pirate Afia and seek the legendary Black Pearls to revive a cursed crew of your own,” the description elaborates. “Each of your eight shipmates is a playable character with an individual personality and armed with unique supernatural powers. Launch friend or foe with Gaëlle's magical cannon, use Mr. Mercury's soul anchor to open a magic portal or dash across spacetime for split second stealth attacks with Afia's mythical sword.”

Gameplay

It’s a strategy game at heart, so we can definitely expect to see our fair share of tactical decisions and stealth-based manoeuvres. Aside from the combat, there’ll also be a fully customizable crew, with each member bringing something new and beneficial to the  epic voyages that you’ll be embarking on.

“Pull-off an epic heist and salvage a mysterious treasure of otherworldly power to defy the army of the Inquisition,” the description adds. “Infiltrate their fortresses. Sneak behind enemy lines. Cleverly combine the magical skills of your crew to take out a variety of enemies with carefully considered tactics. Feel like a brilliant mastermind when your plan clicks perfectly into place!”

Fortunately, if it all doesn’t go quite according to plan, then there’s always the power of time manipulation—a feature that will allow players to switch up their actions and move freely between scenarios in case certain battles happen to go, shall we say, awry.

“Pause time to consider your strategic choices or queue up multiple character actions,” the blurb continues. “Capture a memory of every passing moment, to instantly return to if things go south. Change your approach and tactics to discover own unique solutions to each moment in the game – in your own time!”

Development

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew will be Mimimi Games’ very first self-published game, so kudos to them for reaching that key milestone. It’s also their third stealth strategy game, with titles including Shadow Tactics and Desperados having already made an appearance in the portfolio since the studio’s inception back in 2008.

“It is an original IP, completely owned by us, featuring cursed pirates as your crew,” the team recently touched base on its latest project. “Brand new magical skills, a non-linear approach to missions, free character selection, a living ghost ship as your HUB: we are innovating a lot in our genre, while still staying true to the core that makes it so great. How it turns out is still to be seen when the game comes out in 2023, so stay tuned!”

Trailer

To help whet your appetite in preparation of its timely launch, Mimimi Games has already gone ahead and posted a sneak preview trailer of Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew over on its chosen streaming handle. But don’t let us spoil every drop of its detail for you. If you’re interested in catching a glimpse of what’s to come, then be sure to check out the release date trailer embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

In case you missed the announcement, Mimimi Games will be bringing Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew to Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store on August 17, 2023.

As far as launch editions go, Mimimi Games has only shed light on the one, which is the standard console and PC copy. You can go ahead and add that to your wishlist on any of the respective store handles today.

Planning on joining the lost souls at any point this year? If so, then be sure to check in with Mimimi Games’ official social feed for all the latest updates here. If anything changes ahead of its late summer launch, we’ll be sure to fill you in on all the key details right here on gaming.net.

So, what’s your take? Will you be setting sail for The Lost Caribbean when Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew graces the shores? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.