Recently, Roger Ebert wrote a follow-up post, “Okay, kids, play on my lawn” to his prior blog post that argued that video games are not art. If I may say so, his entry is absurd: “Which do you value more: Huckleberry Finn or a great video game?” Umm… What the hell kind of question is that? I continue to be disappointed in Ebert’s lack of imagination.
One thing that I noticed, though, is that Ebert speaks of games as a time drain; he doesn’t want to spend twenty hours playing a video game. Well, most of the experimental games that pushed me to rethink the meaning of video games as “art” were actually very, very, short video games. I don’t think any of them took me longer than ten minutes to play.
So, without further ado, here is a list of some short games that caused me to re-evaluate the meaning of games. I have included links to download or, if applicable, to play the games online. There are definitely many more games that deeply impacted me, but this is just a starting point for my readers.
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9:05 by Adam Cadre: This game is interactive fiction.
The basic plot is: You wake up in a bed, and the phone rings. When you pick up the phone, a man demands to know where you are: you are late for work! You must leave as soon as possible! There is a counter on the upper righthand corner of the game, constantly reminding you that you are late. The parser is slightly dumb, but not frustratingly so. (Note: in interactive fiction, the parser is the “narrator” that interprets your commands.)
But then there is a twist.
It encourages the player to replay the game and take the less-obvious paths through the story, then sit back and admire how Cadre skillfully manipulates the player into taking certain actions during the first run-through. (I even think he made the parser slightly stubborn on purpose.)
After a bit of googling, I found that this game is available online thanks to some developers who are creating an online Z Machine interpreter using javascript. Give 9:05 a spin; it’s finely suited for beginners and experts alike.
Passage by Jason Rohrer: This game is a metaphor for life, and it’s intended to be a memento mori game. It’s difficult to explain it without ruining the experience, so just download it. The basic idea is that, as you move, you age. You can walk down to find treasures, or you can spend your life with your mate.
I’d encourage you to play the game for yourself and see if you can mine any meaning from it. Then read the supplementary material that Jason Rohrer has provided on his website.
Note: There is a lot of debate as to whether this could be defined as a “game.” I include this because I do think it’s a game: the player can alter the outcome of the storyline.
Brain Damage by Stephen Lavelle: I hesitate to post this game because, honestly, it is so freaking disturbing. If anybody doubts the ability of a game to affect one emotionally, this game certainly will prove him or her wrong – for days or weeks or months afterwards.
This game seems to be based upon Jeffery Dahmer, the famous serial killer. I’m going to hide the review under a cut because… well.
Trigger warning: contains descriptions of violence and murder. (Also contains spoilers)
Click to read more. Includes spoilers.
Well, I hope that this was a good starting point for all of you. Upon writing this entry, I realized that I haven’t been keeping up with the indie game scene nearly enough. If you will excuse me, I am going to play bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk by Stephen Lavelle and Terry Cavanagh now.
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Notes:
-I would recommend bookmarking Play This Thing! if you are interested in more indie/experimental games.
-Many pieces of interactive fiction, including 9:05, use a piece of software known as a Z Machine interpreter. This website has a list of Z Machine interpreters for every imaginable OS out there. If you are interested in interactive fiction, I’d recommend downloading a Z machine interpreter – interactive fiction provides hours and hours of free entertainment. If you enjoyed 9:05, I would recommend playing Photopia next – it is Adam Cadre’s best-known work, and it’s incredibly touching. It also is really interesting narratively because it’s a non-linear narrative.
I should stop here, or I will ramble about interactive fiction forever. There is a database of interactive fiction, and many games are available for download there.
-My previous post, Video Games as Art: Part One can be found here.
