The playable character is the titular sołtys, the elder of his village. His daughter was arranged to be married, but due to her unattractiveness, the groom left her at the altar. Her father then goes after him to bring him back so the wedding can be completed.
It's a humourous game, but it is impossible to overlook the blatant misogyny inherent in the storyline of the game. Notwithstanding the issues with arranged marriages, the fact that the daughter is reduced to her appearance, especially as a punchline, is hard to take. The sołtys is searching for the husband-to-be, but it is not to restore his daughter's dignity but rather to complete the ceremony.
As for the game itself, the puzzles are pretty good. There's nothing memorable, but there's nothing too outlandish to require trying every inventory item on everything to advance the plot. Inventory items are selected from a bar at the bottom of the screen. The music is also fine, but not memorable. It does complement the game and works well for each scene.
The graphics are actually the high point of this game. It is presented in a pleasing cartoonish style, which works with the silliness of the dialog. Each character sprite is designed to evoke this aesthetic and the background art compliments the sprite style extremely well.
Sołtys is a problematic game with its misogynistic storyline. The fact that the ugliness of the daughter of the sołtys is the whole catalyst that sets off the game's story makes it impossible to ignore. That said, the rest of the game is decent. The puzzles are good with no clicking and searching required, the music isn't memorable but it fits the scenes well. The art is the best part of the game, as it has a cartoony aesthetic that fits the overall silliness of the game. If you want to try it, and you can stomach the misogyny, it is free to download from ScummVM.
Final Verdict:
2 out of 5
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