Hey there! I’m here today with my thoughts on The Great Villainess: Strategy of Lily, a turn-based strategy game from One or Eight, published by Alliance Arts. I dove in shortly after its July 2025 launch and found plenty to love—plus a few quirks worth knowing before you jump in. Here’s my cozy breakdown.
Overall Impressions
I’ve played a handful of strategy games this year. The Great Villainess: Strategy of Lily stands out for its story twist and streaming-era setting. You and Scarlet, the self-styled “villainesses,” are framed for killing the Emperor. Instead of hiding, you stream your rebellion. Capture enemies to turn them into allies—or wipe them out and claim the Demon Queen title.
This SRPG blends streamer-style presentation with traditional turn-based tactics. The result is a fresh and entertaining style. Narrative flourishes—like quirky cutscenes and voice snippets—add personality and keep things lively. It’s a story-driven approach that stands apart from more mechanically rigid strategy titles. You get moments of charm between the battles.
However, the “Strategic” difficulty leans heavily into grinding. That reduces the focus on tactical planning. The capture mechanic, while creative, can feel tedious for completionists. Compared to other SRPGs, it focuses more on narrative but struggles with leveling balance. That makes pacing less smooth than top-tier tactical experiences.
Gameplay Mechanics
Tactical combat feels satisfying. You can field up to five units, maneuver them across grid maps, and unleash flashy combo skills like the crowd-pleasing Scarlet Wave. The capture system adds a “convert or crush” twist. Well-timed stuns reward you with new allies. Airship support adds depth, letting you toggle no-regen zones or capture mode. These puzzle-like scenarios break up the standard battles.
On the downside, enemy level scaling spikes between acts. Players relying on strategy over grinding can get punished. Even smart planning may fail without frequent battles to keep up in EXP. The three-turn combat limit adds pressure. Balancing damage, stun setup, and luck-based capture success can turn tense fights into stressful ones.
Standout moment: I spent an hour trying to capture two mid-bosses in Act 3—one who makes troops invulnerable for a turn and another who can wipe your army on turn two. Finally nailing that stun felt like winning a mini-boss. But man, it taught me that Easy mode is almost a kindness for first-timers.
Story and Characters
I’m usually more of a cozy sim fan, but I genuinely enjoyed the plot twists here. Scarlet’s streaming banter is part cheeky prank, part heartfelt speech—she really sells her villainess persona. Lily, the quieter partner, has these sweet support moments that balance Scarlet’s theatrical style. Together they form a duo that feels like a well-written buddy comedy with dark undertones.
World-building leans into a “alternate history streaming age,” which is unique. The Empire architecture, rebel hideouts, and floating forts all tie together nicely. Side characters—once captured—bring their own mini-arcs, which adds some welcome variety.
Visuals and Graphics
One or Eight blends voxel art, expressive 2D portraits, and clean 3D maps to create a charming, retro-inspired look. Crisp, color-coded tiles make movement and attack ranges easy to read, while manga-style portraits add personality to dialogue scenes. The handcrafted voxel models, though not highly detailed, perfectly match the game’s playful tone, resulting in a lighthearted, storybook atmosphere rather than a gritty war simulation.
Sound and Music
The soundtrack blends catchy chiptune riffs with dramatic orchestral pieces, delivering variety without becoming repetitive. Sound effects like sword clashes, magical stuns, and airship blasts hit with satisfying impact while staying pleasant to the ear. Selective voice acting adds punch to key cutscenes, with Scarlet’s energetic delivery standing out—especially during the rousing “glory to the Scarlet Empire” chants that leave a lasting impression.
Difficulty and Replayability
The Great Villainess offers three difficulty modes to suit different playstyles. Easy mode is ideal for story-focused players, keeping battles fair and making full captures stress-free. Normal provides a balanced challenge for those who enjoy tactics without excessive grinding, while Strategic is a hardcore option that demands constant power-leveling against infinite enemy spawns—best suited for players who thrive on optimization puzzles.
Replay value shines through its branching choice system, letting you pursue a ruthless genocide route or a more heartwarming full-recruit ending. Side missions aboard the airship encourage revisiting maps for unique capture combos, and New Game+ retains certain unlocks, speeding up subsequent runs once you’ve mastered the game’s grind spots.
Trivia & Behind-the-Scenes
Indie developer One or Eight, known for pushing genre boundaries, collaborated with Alliance Arts to integrate a unique streaming-inspired twist, reflecting how real-world platforms shape play styles. The game’s signature voxel, 2D, and 3D art blend emerged unexpectedly during development, with hand-drawn portraits added to bring the story to life. Scarlet’s voice actor even recorded her lines remotely while wearing a cat-ear headset, adding playful authenticity to the character’s performance.
Final Thoughts
The Great Villainess: Strategy of Lily is a surprisingly heartfelt strategy romp with just enough edge to keep you hooked. It mixes streamer-style humor, classic turn-based battles, and a recruitment twist that’s charming when it works—and a little rough when it doesn’t. Pop it in on Easy for a breezy story ride, or buckle down on Strategic if you’re craving a grindy test. Either way, Scarlet and Lily are happy to have you in their revolt. Enjoy your time in the Scarlet Empire!
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
I’m rounding up to 4 stars for the strong story, fun characters, and unique style—but docking half a star for the grindy strategic mode and capture tedium. If you lean cozy and love a good narrative with optional challenge, I think you’ll have a blast—especially on Easy or Normal. If pure tactics is your jam, be ready to grind or you might find yourself under-leveled more than once.
Add The Great Villainess: Strategy of Lily to your Steam collection!
