1666: Amsterdam Offers Free Prologue, But Shows Little In It

The idea behind the Assassins Creed games is creative enough that, at least to us, it's surprising it hasn't been used more. In the original saga, the game was seen from the perspective of a present-day protagonist, seeing the adventures of its ancestors as they battled templars in the past.

Ex-Ubisoft developers took this idea to new grounds in 1666: Amsterdam, a game by the newly formed Panache Digital Games. This title, while still in development, has a playable prologue for anyone interested, where three different timelines intertwine: present day, 2000, and 1666.

Strong Premise

The prologue is quite short, but introduces the main cast in intriguing ways. It's hard to explain without going step-by-step what happens in it, but it's so short you might as well play it for yourself. It has a strong visual presentation, witchcraft motifs, and more cats than expected (even given the subject matter), so if it sounds interesting by all means try it.

The gist of it is that, in the main game, you'll play as a witch of sorts flying around Amsterdam fighting dark creatures. You'll be able to swap with your cat companion, who's being inhabited by a man from the year 2000. That man, in turn, is telling this story to his daughter through a magical letter.

Weak Gameplay

All the trailers, including the one appearing at the end of this prologue/preview, hint at plenty of gameplay happening in Amsterdam, but you get to do none of it. You start by choosing your cat companion from over ten choices, but they're all black cats with some flavor text. It's keeping in tone, sure, but why make me waste my time if the cat won't have any gameplay, story or cosmetic difference?

This would all be fine if the game was being marketed as a purely narrative game, but it isn't. With no way to test the exploring, combat and other mechanics, it's hard to know what this is a sample of. Sure, it's a prologue not a demo, but it feels more like a slightly interactive story trailer.

The real game likely will fulfill all the promises laid here, and we sincerely hope they do. As a sample of the story, this prologue certainly works, but if you wanted to know what the game was really about "gamewise," you'll have to wait for future updates.

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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 12:07 PM.