How Becoming Saint Turns 14th-Century Italy into a Political Roguelike

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Becoming Saint is the latest game from indie studio Open Lab Games that puts you on a quest for sainthood in 14th-century Italy. Directed and designed by Pietro Polsinelli, the game combines historical inspiration with a mix of roguelike strategy, deep storytelling, and a darkly comedic take on societal dysfunction. Its satirical style is reminiscent of writers like Umberto Eco and the humor of Monty Python.

Polsinelli, a veteran developer with a strong background, sees his work as a constant exploration of how narrative and mechanics connect. In this interview, we dive into the inspirations, challenges, and design philosophy behind Becoming Saint. Polsinelli sheds light on how his team brought this unique vision to life, from the absurdity of medieval heretical movements to the game’s blend of auto-battler and manual controls.

Becoming Saint released mid-July on PC via Steam and you can also read our review of the game here.

What inspired the 14th-century Italian setting for Becoming Saint, particularly with the blend of dark humor and fantasy elements?

We first of all studied the process of becoming a saint, which is a bit absurd and also a bit dark by itself, and the various heretic movements of the 14th century. The main references for the humour and historical treatment are Umberto Eco’s novel The Name Of The Rose, Monty Python’s Holy Grail and Life Of Brian.

For the content style and characters, Pino, our art director, studied extensively Italy’s 14th-century iconography and earlier medieval styles, and also the large source that are illustrated manuscripts. For the combination of 2D characters and 3D settings, Bad North was a very cool inspiration.

How would you describe Becoming Saint’s tone? Is it a farce, a satirical take on religion and cults, or something else entirely, while still being respectful?

It is not as much satirical on religion as it is on the absurdity of a society that has impoverished, destitute masses and few privileged ones, and no one seems to be doing anything about it. Ever heard of that kind of dysfunctional society?

In this, those who have read Umberto Eco’s The Name Of The Rose will find a lot of similarities in tone and representation. Heretical movements were always linked to class struggles. And one of the characters you may meet in the advanced stages comes directly from the “Ciompi’s revolt” of the poorer classes in renaissance Florence.

It is not only not disrespectful about religion, but actually one of the main inspirations is the life and ideas of Francis of Assisi, but of course, one has to read between the lines and go beyond the jokes.

How long have you been developing Becoming Saint, and what part of the game are you most proud of?

We have been developing Becoming Saint for a bit more than two years. I am pretty happy to have a game where the narrative content and choices have direct and powerful consequences on the mechanics of the game.

What caused the shift from your earlier narrative adventures and sports games to a roguelike strategy game like Becoming Saint?

More than a shift for me it’s a change of subject of a continuing research in the connection of narrative and mechanics.

Why did you include both an auto-battler option and the ability to control units manually?

Being a unique game, we believe it may attract a diverse range of players. Some may be more interested in the strategy, some in the theme, some in the stories generated, so I hope this can fit different kinds of play style.

How much of Becoming Saint is procedurally generated or randomized versus fixed content, and how does this balance affect the gameplay experience?

The towns existing at the time are clearly not procedurally generated, but who controls them and with which units is generated at each new gameplay. Also the sequence of “chapters”, that is, sets of decisions to be taken is always different. Now the town generation has a lot of constraints, so that overall the resulting power of the towns you go to fight is not that different.

Where did you draw inspiration for the diverse units in Becoming Saint, particularly for their synergies and weaknesses?

Well the unit abilities refer to how the unit members are characterised, we used very distinctive traits, so clearly a witch can curse, a leper can try touching, and studious monks will throw their books…

How significantly does the saintess’s doctrine or personality shape the gameplay and narrative?

Your doctrine shapes almost every aspect of the game, because it defines who follows you and who will leave you, and even how many. And it also shapes the narrative because your doctrine together with your choice of targets change your relationship with the Pope, the Emperor and the banks / merchants, and also triggers different events.

The game is structured around four repeating phases: Adopt Doctrine, Recruit Followers, Battle, and Conquer Settlement. Do you believe this provides enough replayability to keep players engaged?

While the loop is fixed, 1. your ever-changing political orientation also implies you gain and lose different followers, 2. there is the progression dimension, because with the growth of your follower numbers you can try to convert larger and larger towns, and 3. when you get a larger following, new kinds of events will be triggered, during marches and also larger events concerning the main powers.

How has Becoming Saint been received on Steam so far, and do you feel it’s too early to fully understand its success?

It’s been very well received by people in cultures that are familiar with the topic at hand, so I guess they can appreciate the humour and references. It’s a small game with many dimensions, but also a micro production, so to appreciate it one has to consider the overall result.

What’s next for Becoming Saint? Are there plans for updates, tweaks, or console versions in the future?

We will continue to publish many updates for now!