July 2025 Broadcast

Dear Citizens of the Suzerainverse,

Welcome to our July 2025 Broadcast! Things have been full throttle at Torpor this past month, with major progress, a range of development challenges, and plenty more that will come to light in the near future.

In this shorter update, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at life at Torpor, discover some of our favorite recent YouTube finds, and get a preview of our upcoming award nominations.

Nintendo Switch Update

We’re thrilled to share that the long-awaited Nintendo Switch update is nearly here, and development has been moving full steam ahead! It’s hard to believe the last time *Suzerain *was updated on Switch was all the way back in 2021 with version 1.1.0. But that’s about to change.

To get an inside look at how it's coming together, we caught up with Torpor Games programmer Julian Nowak, who’s been leading the charge on the Switch update. He dives into some of the key challenges the team has faced, along with UI enhancements and graphical improvements new for the console. Here's a look:

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👉 Read More About the Nintendo Switch Dev Update

Community Highlights: From Across YouTube

The Suzerain community continues to impress us with the incredible content being shared online. From in-depth playthroughs to thoughtful analysis, the creativity and passion on display never go unnoticed. We’d like to take a moment to spotlight a few standout pieces that recently caught our attention and deserve a bit of extra recognition.

Here are some highlights on YouTube from the past month:

If you’d like to share your own work, head over to the Suzerain Universe Discord and post it in the #ministry-of-art channel, we’d love to see it all!

Torpor & Rizia Nominated for Pocket Gamer Awards

We’re excited to share that Torpor Games has received two nominations at the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2025, hosted by Steel Media. The Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards highlight every part of the gaming world, from developers and publishers to advertising, monetisation, tools, and emerging tech that make games possible.

Kingdom of Rizia is a finalist in the brand-new Best Game Innovation category, celebrates games released (or majorly updated) between June 2024 and June 2025 that bring something truly fresh and transform the player experience in unexpected ways.

We’re also honored to be nominated for Best Indie Developer, a recognition that means a great deal to our small but passionate team. The winners will be announced on Tuesday August 19th, during Gamescom week in Cologne, Germany. Can you cross your fingers for us? 🤞

👉 Read More About the Awards

Upcoming: Torpor Town Hall and Q&A

After the success of May's Town Hall over on the *Suzerain Universe *Discord, we'll be hosting another for the third quarter of 2025! We believe its important to open the floor to the Suzerain community to ask questions about lore, development, and the Torpor team for an open and transparent diagloue. Plus, we also do it to see the memes.

Fancy joining us to either take part or just listen in, be sure to join us on:

***Thursday 14th August at 6pm CEST / 12pm EST / 9am PDT ***

To ensure your questions are prioritised during the event, please submit them in advance via this form.

Here's a recap of what went down during the previous Town Hall.

👉 Join the Suzerain Universe Discord to Take Part

**Government Testimonials

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At Torpor Games, it's vital to us that Suzerain reflects the real-world impact of political decisions, both on a nation’s people and on the international stage. According to Trevor Wagener, former Deputy Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of State, *Suzerain *offers a “strikingly realistic” take on economic policymaking.

Most of the world doesn’t govern with abundant resources. Instead, it operates under tight fiscal constraints, where every decision involves risk and every trade-off comes at a cost. *Suzerain *captures this reality, especially for emerging nations, offering players insight into the complex and often unforgiving conditions many governments face.

“We’re proud that the games we make at Torpor resonate beyond entertainment, helping expand understanding of how economic policy actually works across much of the world,”* Ata, Managing Director of Torpor Games.

We're also honored by recognition from Michael Young, a former 10 Downing Street Special Adviser to the UK Prime Minister. Hearing that Suzerain authentically reflects the realities of governance means the world to us, and this kind of institutional feedback continues to drive our mission to push the boundaries of political storytelling and craft experiences that challenge, engage, and provoke thought globally.

Read the full testimonials:

*“Economics and fiscal policy are deep, difficult subjects to simplify without losing their essence, and Torpor Games depicts them from a governance perspective with striking realism. I worked on international policy debates over debt sustainability, budget constraints, and the continual balance between state-led initiatives and market forces under political constraints. Suzerain mirrors those pressures through its choices on budget, trade, energy, infrastructure, taxation, security, and welfare within a web of institutions, interest groups, and shifting public sentiment. *

Core macroeconomic ideas such as intertemporal tradeoffs are integrated into a cohesive narrative rather than isolated mechanics. The result is a carefully constructed experience where economic reasoning and political strategy stay in constant conversation, making Suzerain intellectually rewarding and genuinely engaging.”

— *Trevor Wagener, former Deputy Chief Economist of the U.S. Department of State

*"I recently played Suzerain and was completely hooked. In real life, Government Ministers absorb information through reports and briefings and then make decisions from options presented by the Civil Service. Having been at the center of political decision-making, I've seen how politics functions up close and the trade-offs inherent in every decision. The game is an uncannily accurate reflection of how this process really works. Torpor Games has created something truly extraordinary with Suzerain, and it's a lot of fun to play as well!" *

— Michael Young, former Special Adviser to the UK Prime Minister

Torpor Games x Apple HQ

Ata recently had the opportunity to attend a private Apple Developer Event at London’s impressive Battersea Power Station, where he gained valuable learnings into Apple’s evolving support for games.

One of the most exciting announcements was Apple Games; a new standalone app launching in Autumn 2025 alongside the App Store. Designed as a dedicated space for gaming, it will feature personalized recommendations, editorial highlights, and a revamped discoverability algorithm that emphasizes engagement and user behavior. For smaller studios like ours, this presents a meaningful opportunity for increased visibility without the need for big marketing budgets.

What stood out most was the genuine passion of the teams behind this initiative. Independent developers featured prominently across marketing materials and presentations, which is an encouraging sign for the future. We’re excited to see where this all leads!

Until next time, dear Citizens. Take care!

Glovurius axa Rizia!

A’Morgna her Coren!

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