1666: Amsterdam - Big Potential? Prologue Review
Platform: Steam
Date played: 6/7/2026
Time played: 78 minutes
Gameplay: 3.5/5 - early look so not many mechanics to use yet
Sound Design: 4/5 - music fit the vibes
Graphics: 3.7/5 - early look!
Controls: 5/5 - easy to use controller friendly
User Interface: 5/5 - what was demonstrated was easy to use
Summary: “This prologue is a narrative experience lasting approximately 30 minutes. It introduces the world, characters, and mystery of 1666: Amsterdam. The core gameplay loop, i.e. investigation, tracking, and confronting the Originals during the Esbat begins in the full game”.
Thoughts: With the summer games showcases in full swing, I have been updating my wishlists adding the upcoming titles that caught my eye and this year’s Summer Game Fest was packed with promising looking titles. Being a massive Resident Evil and Stellar Blade fan those of course stole the show for me, but a few newer titles made it onto my radar as well. Among those was 1666: Amsterdam developed and published by Panache Digital Games which promised a witchy narrative and spoiled us with a free prologue allowing us to get a glimpse at the story, characters, and gameplay. After a few days I installed it and, at the time of writing this, I have spent a little over an hour in the world. And I have to admit, I am optimistic about what’s to come.
Before I get too far ahead a sentiment I must share and will repeat several more times, is that this is a very early demonstration of the game and should not be deemed the final product. I will be omitting graphical complaints and other critiques that hold no real analysis at this time since it is still too early to judge. I will share my observations and about the narrative presented to us but again, this is and should be subject to change as the game evolves.
We begin with a woman in red on her way to a ceremony, it is December 1665. The woman we later learn is named Noa, also known as The Collector and descendant of a tribe called the Zaindaris. Noa possesses unique abilities that allow her to collect energy and interact with the materials and people around her in unusual ways. Her bio which we acquire at the end of the prologue tells us about her heritage and her purpose, “to receive NUX and spread it upon the Earth”. She chooses a feline to accompany her with each cat option seeming to have their own personality traits. Having played it twice, once choosing the Spirit cat and another time the Page there were no noticeable differences but I am hopeful that this will have implications for the full release. Before we can see the end of the ceremony though we are taken forward in time to the modern era.
We are introduced to Clio, a young woman searching for help translating a document left behind by her recently deceased father. She turns to an old friend of the family Professor Lucas, an expert in Paleography (the academic pursuit of deciphering historical writings), with the hope that he can read the document. We learn that the letter Clio brings consists of symbols as well as a seemingly organic element making the text itself look alive. The professor tells Clio that this text descends from the Zaindaris tribe and requires a special tool to decipher it. After using our investigation skills to find the tool, Clio enters a trance-like state hearing her father’s voice as he tells her about his past interactions with the tribe.
Right away it is implied that the tribe is still active in the modern age and may not exist on a linear timeline. While Clio is in her trance, we experience the letter through playing as her father and later as the very cat we chose at the beginning. This tells us that her father, whose story told in the letter was set in the year 2000, was somehow transported back to the 1600s and played an active role in Noa’s story. The prologue ends with their union and we are left with plenty of questions for the full-game to answer.
As stated previously, this is an early view of the game so consider the following observations rather than judgements. Visually, the game has a lot of promise with the use of harsh reds and darker lighting forcing you to pay attention to what is on the screen. Noa’s character design is powerful, donned in red robes with a veil covering her face while Clio looks young and studious. For environments we get to explore a library, a massive hotel, and the forest that takes us to the ceremony site. The library shows 2 levels of shelves which we can investigate, walls lined with old artworks and beautiful stained glass windows. The forest is lit dimly by torches and fire pits with the ominous glow of the mood adding to the sense of mystery. NPCs fill the spaces and remind us that the actions of this tribe are not separate from humanity but intertwined with it. Sound design completes the scene with ominous chants and hums, a very fitting choice for the magical themes of the game. At this time there is room for improvement but the ambience established is promising.
The gameplay is simplistic with us being directed to investigate, read, ignite, and search all of which is done through holding or pressing the designated button. Combat is demonstrated in the main trailer but we don’t get to sample that in the prologue. The game plays well with controllers but supports mouse and keyboard as well. I experienced no issues on the technical side minus the occasional frame jumps but again, I’ll attribute it to being an early look and easily forgivable.
The prologue does what it sets out to do, give us a taste of what’s to come and the mystery at hand. We are given plenty of terms to build the world and to start learning the practices of the tribe. Additionally we are given character connections without being told the entirety of how the pieces fit together. While it was not the most impressive display, the narrative for me makes it compelling enough to want to see where it goes. This to me is always more important than having demanding combat or 4K visuals. A beautiful game is only good until you realize it lacks substance. 1666: Amsterdam promises substance and beauty. I like a good story with magic and witchy elements, the Hex girls from Scooby-Doo did in fact have a lasting impact on me so I am excited to see more use of magic and Noa’s powers in addition to unraveling what promises to be an intriguing narrative.
Links:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3949550/1666_Amsterdam/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palaeography