In The Great Villainess: Strategy of Lily, winning a war is as much about public opinion as it is about battlefield tactics. The turn-based strategy game, produced by Alliance Arts, will launch on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on Wednesday 2 December 2026.
The story follows Duchess Scarlet, a member of the royal family who is on the run after being falsely accused of murder. To clear her name, she teams up with Lily, a time-traveller who brings a few modern broadcasting tricks with her. As the world’s first livestreamers, the pair try to convince the public that Scarlet is innocent, although failure could see her become the murderous villainess the common people already believe her to be.
Alongside winning over the masses, players organise a rebellion through turn-based combat. Battles can be fought with all-out attacks on key points of the map or through long-term sieges, with some deception mixed into Scarlet’s strategy. Lily’s livestreams play a direct role here, with different Stream types used to weaken the enemy. A Stalling Stream holds back advancing forces, an Interception Stream cuts off supply lines, a Surrender Stream persuades enemies to give up during battle and a Hustle Stream urges allies to strike quickly. The Capture Stream uses Lily’s charisma to turn enemies to Scarlet’s side.
Building bonds between allied units makes them stronger and unlocks special tag-team skills. Players can also choose what to do with defeated enemies. Captured admirals bring new abilities to the team, while executing generals boosts Scarlet’s attack power but slowly wears away her honour.
To celebrate the console release, players can also dress the characters in outfits from other Alliance Arts titles. Lily can wear the “Qtie Dress” from Yunyun Syndrome!? Rhythm Psychosis, while Scarlet can wear the “Femme Soule Dress” from Drunken Goddess Reflux.
