Façade

[Lockeownzj00]

Façade...what to say about Façade. Maybe you should read the Gamasutra article first. (surprisingly, this press blitz is exactly what Kieron Gillen was talking about)

Façade is quite innovative--very innovative, and (surprise) an indie game. It's an odd interactive-fiction that is still highly buggy and experimental, yet has gotten me to play through it about eight times now.

Meet Trip and Grace, an unhappy married couple who invite you over after not having seen you for a while. Things start out normally enough, but it quickly becomes apparent that Grace and Trip are not happy with their marriage.

Here's where it gets interesting: besides the random path that is chosen at the beginning, different conversations can be had. Some core exchanges are in all the branching possibilities, but with eight play-throughs I found myself still hearing tons of new content.

It's an interactive-fiction--which means you type to "talk." Unlike most IF games (think Zork),
Façade's AI and conversation mechanisms are highly advanced, and while they still do not understand some things, the player can be very human with his virtual friends here.

The graphics are not impressive, but they're irrelevant. the acting is quite good, especially during the heated argument phases.

So anyway--the point is to somehow "alter" or "assist" the outcome of the night's events. This can lead any number of ways: I have achieved everything from both spouses walking out (on separate playthroughs), the couple rethinking their marriage, being kicked out, and walking out myself, just to name a few.

It's a step forward for what games should be doing. We know a corporate, mainstream game would never do this: corporatisation kills innovation, and that's doubley true for games. Indie developers all over should be taking note of Façade's radically different style--we all will, in the future.

It's interesting, as well, because the game "logs" the course of events that takes place, and outputs them in a text file that reads like a play--and is designed to be one. What the player does with these is up to them.

It's frustrating at first. My first playthrough, I was entirely pissed at myself and the game for not getting some awesome conclusion. But even though I found myself worrying each "round" that I would accidentally fuck things up, I always pulled it through with logic and ingenuity.

Yes, you can offend them. Try asking them about sex (on one of your later playthroughs, please...I honestly think you should save the honest-to-goodness dicking around for later, after you try to do whatever you would do on an awkward night lke this one) and they'll respond hesitantly, and even kissing them can rouse suspicious and subsequently overtly mad results in the spouse.

The game is set up through a number of conversational topics. In many end-scenarios, one (or both) of the characters will kind of "sum-up" what you had told them up until now. This can still go in any number of directions.

I'm rambling. The point is, it's a fantastic example of gaming genious, and looking through the threads here at 8bit, I think it's a crime we're all not worshipping Façade.

[Jagos]

One, Kieron Gillen is now a demi-god in my book.

Two, Facade (can't do the puntuation thing...) seems interesting and I'm going to try it out.

Three, where do you usually find your information such as this Locke?

[Demon with a Glass Hand]

I'm all over this like fun on rice!

I'll keep everyone updated on my impressions/adventures after I've had my way a couple of times with Facade. At present, I must say, I am giddy with anticipation.

[Lockeownzj00]

I can show you guys my logs of the times I played, if you like.

JC, I read many, many websites, publications, and go to forums for game discussion.

Some sites:

Game Tunnel
Indie Gamer Developer Forums
The Independent Gaming Source
Large Prime Numbers
Eurogamer
Gamasutra
Insert Credit (and forums)
G-pinions
Idle Thumbs
Gamer's Quarter (and forums)
The Escapist

Bold are highly, highly recommended