One of the main characters of Card Shark¸ the Comte de Saint-Germain, had a real-life historical counterpart that the game's character was based on. The Comte is one of the most important characters in the game, drawing the protagonist into a life of cheating at cards and gambling, before introducing to his search for the solution of a complex puzzle involving a monarchy secret. However, although he was a remarkable character in-game, the person who inspired his character in the real world had an even more interesting life.

Card Shark makes several references to real-world history matters throughout gameplay, much like other indie games that get history right. Although the main story is a work of fiction, characters often mention influential figures and concepts revolving around the French Revolution. During the story, players even swindle important historical figures, such as Voltaire and D’Alembert. However, although these characters share many of the same ideals they did in real life, this isn’t the case with the real-life counterpart of the Comte de Saint-Germain.

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The real Comte’s background and his position in the French nobility was achieved under a string of many lies that make him a curious character in history and justify his reputation as an expert swindler in the game. Not only that, but much like his version in Card Shark, he had been involved in a scandal with a monarchy, only instead of looking for the lost son of King Louis XV, he claimed to be the son of the Prince of Transylvania.

The Comte De Saint-Germain Wasn’t Actually A Swindler

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Much like Inscryption, game of the year in 2021, Card Shark’s main focus also involves card games and, more specifically, cheating at these games. However, while the real-life Comte de Saint-Germain wasn’t known for being a swindler, his confusing life justifies his reputation in the game. Little is known about his background, because he made several far-fetched and often contradictory claims about it, such as being over 500 years old. This led to him being deemed by Voltaire as “The Wonderman,” a man who knows everything about the universe and couldn’t die, something which is referenced in the endings of Card Shark.

In the real world, his counterpart was also involved in a monarchy scandal, having claimed to be a son of Prince Francis II Rákóczi of Transylvania towards the end of his life, which could have inspired the mystery of the "Twelve Bottles Of Milk" that made Card Shark one of the best indie games of 2022. There were many clues pointing to the Comte being the heir of said prince, given it would justify his fine education and wealth, as well as the fact that Francis II Rákóczi’s will mentioned his eldest son, Leopold George, who was believed to have died at the age of four. However, due to the other claims the Comte made about his past, this was considered untrue.

Card Shark used its historical setting to reference many important events, such as the French Revolution, and define their influence in the story. Using real-life historical figures as characters within the game made it more endearing and intriguing. And while many of them are depicted in a curious way, such as Voltaire and S.W. Erdnase, the Comte was one of the most interesting choices made within the game.

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