Horror visual novel goes viral after Markiplier video, dev says to “pirate it”

Horror visual novel Slay the Princess is blowing up on Steam thanks to a new Let’s Play from YouTuber ‘Markiplier,’ so the developers at Black Tabby Games are running a quick discount, and even encouraging anyone who can’t afford the game to pirate it. The hand-penciled game sees you talking to a princess you mean to kill, as she attempts to convince you to let her live – with dire consequences if you do.

Mark ‘Markiplier’ Fischbach’s new Slay the Princess video already has nearly one million views, so the team at Black Tabby Games has embraced all the new eyes by giving the game a Steam sale and encouraging players to pirate it if they don’t have the money right now.

“For folks tuning in to the Markiplier Slay the Princess series — if you haven’t played on your own yet, the best viewing experience will be if you watch it after playing. The game is wildly reactive to your choices, to the level of every playthrough being personalized,” Black Tabby Games writes of the visual novel on X.

“Also you should watch the Markiplier Let’s Play, the first episode was extremely good. Anyways, Steam Summer Sale starts on [Thursday June 27]. If you want to wait for a discount, pirate it first. Or if you can’t afford the game in general, pirate it! No skin off our back, and you can always buy a copy later if you think the game was worth your money. And then watch Mr. Plier.”

The team at Black Tabby Games has already told players to pirate Slay the Princess if they can’t afford it, but there is also a demo letting you try a portion of the game for free first.

Slay the Princess also saw its highest player count since launch following the first video in Markiplier’s new series, reaching 750 concurrent players after a launch high of 1,726. There’s even a new version of the game on the way, as Slay the Princess – The Pristine Cut plans to add three new routes, expand on three other routes, and incorporate a new ending when it launches later this fall.

There was even a big Slay the Princess update a few months ago, with the core game getting some restructuring, new sections of dialogue, and reworks to some choices as well. The Czech National Symphony Orchestra also provides some new music during specific plot points.

Slay the Princess is currently on sale for 20% off, so expect to pay $14.39 / £11.99 until around Monday June 24 at 9am PT, 12pm ET, 5pm BST, and Tuesday June 25 at 3am AEDT. You can buy the game, or play the free demo, right here.

We’ve also got all the best story games and horror games to play after Slay the Princess, if you want something in a similar style.

You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or grab our PCGN deals tracker to net yourself some bargains.