The Novelist - a game about life with C&C

[LESS T_T]

http://www.thenovelistgame.com/

Description

The Novelist asks one central question: can you achieve your dreams without pushing away the people you love? The game focuses on Dan Kaplan, a novelist struggling to write the most important book of his career while trying to be the best husband and father he can be. The Kaplans have come to a remote coastal home for the summer, unaware that they're sharing the house with a mysterious ghostly presence: you. Read the family's thoughts. Explore their memories. Uncover their desires and intervene in their lives. But stay out of sight; you can't help the Kaplans if they know there's a ghost in the house. It's up to you to decide how Dan's career and family life will evolve, but choose carefully; there are no easy answers, and every choice has a cost. Dan's relationships - to his work, his wife, and his son - react and shift in response to your choices. With a different sequence of events in every playthrough, The Novelist gives life to a unique experience each time you play. The decisions you make will define the Kaplans' lives, but they may also tell you something about yourself.

History

After more than a decade working on AAA games like Deus Ex: Invisible War and BioShock 2, Kent Hudson grew creatively restless. So in October 2011, without a specific game idea or a plan beyond trying to make something he believed in, he quit his job and started working on a game in his apartment. The Novelist is the result of his foray into independent development. Its roots can be found in his GDC 2011 lecture entitled Player-Driven Stories: How Do We Get There?, an argument for new ways of giving players authorship in game narratives. The desire for relatable, universal subject matter led to its focus on a single family. During its development, the concept began to hit closer and closer to home; as months passed and the challenges of independent development made themselves known, Kent faced scenarios eerily similar to those he was creating in the game. Can a person follow their dreams while remaining connected to those they love? There are no statements here, only questions. The answers are always personal, and ultimately yours to decide.

Features

• A dynamic narrative, with character relationships and story developments that react to the player's decisions.
• The ability to read the characters' innermost thoughts, explore their memories, and learn about their lives.
• Tense first-person stealth gameplay, as the player tries to remain undetected while shaping Dan Kaplan's life.
• An atmospheric, procedurally-generated piano score that's different with every playthrough.

Release date
Summer 2013

Platforms
PC / Mac

I'm not sure if this is right forum, but it seems good.

 

[zwanzig_zwoelf]

Invisible War, Bioshock 2...
Not sure if it's some sort of anti-advertising. Though I liked Invisible War, but it was less of Deus Ex than I thought.
Will keep an eye on this game.

 

[taxalot]

Pitch : depressing game about depressed people with depressing music and depressing graphics.

Screw that.