Nightmare Frames (Demo on STEAM)

Started by Postmodern Adventures, Tue 10/11/2020 11:31:39

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Quote from: rongel on Wed 26/01/2022 08:00:05
The demo was great! I liked especially the setting, which felt original. I got the feeling that the authors of the game know what they are talking about.

I was one of those teenagers who devoured the Fangoria magazine every month. I was fascinated by that Hollywood outside the big studios (b series production companies, FX workshops, etc.).
In the first act I wanted to create the version of how I saw that world as a teenager in accordance or not with reality.

Thanks for your words and for the wishlist, Rongel!

Laura Hunt

I personally loved the idea of the narrator. Giving players info that characters don't have and viceversa (something I did in Act II of IOAWN4T) and playing with different POVs is a very interesting narrative technique with a lot of potential for subverting expectations. In this case, I feel like the narrator definitely helps players feel part of that world by making them identify with Alan rather than breaking immersion. It's a great artistic choice!

Quote from: heltenjon on Wed 26/01/2022 08:16:43
Yes, what I meant was that the narrator usually talks to Alan: "You have already leafed through that fanzine", but these background detail explanations talk to the player, over Alan's head.

But those remarks actually help establish that the player *is* Alan."You" is not "you, the person in front of your computer playing this", but rather "you, Alan, the script writer", so I don't see them as breaking the fourth wall. Of course, as with any experimental narrative form, there's a risk that what one person considers "interesting" might be "jarring" for someone else, but those risks are well worth taking in my opinion :)

heltenjon

Quote from: Laura Hunt on Wed 26/01/2022 12:03:23
I personally loved the idea of the narrator. Giving players info that characters don't have and viceversa (something I did in Act II of IOAWN4T) and playing with different POVs is a very interesting narrative technique with a lot of potential for subverting expectations. In this case, I feel like the narrator definitely helps players feel part of that world by making them identify with Alan rather than breaking immersion. It's a great artistic choice!

Quote from: heltenjon on Wed 26/01/2022 08:16:43
Yes, what I meant was that the narrator usually talks to Alan: "You have already leafed through that fanzine", but these background detail explanations talk to the player, over Alan's head.

But those remarks actually help establish that the player *is* Alan."You" is not "you, the person in front of your computer playing this", but rather "you, Alan, the script writer", so I don't see them as breaking the fourth wall. Of course, as with any experimental narrative form, there's a risk that what one person considers "interesting" might be "jarring" for someone else, but those risks are well worth taking in my opinion :)

No, what breaks the fourth wall is not the You-remarks, but the observations Alan doesn't know anything about, like the police officer's personal life. That's what I meant by "these background explanations". Sorry I was unclear. But that's not a problem for me - I'm not a purist. I'd rather argue that with enough talent, you can throw the rulebook out of the window. Like Laura did with IOAWN4T.

I think the demo is very good at establishing that this is a "real" world. Of course we get to know Alan's hopes and dreams, but also the personal projects of nearly every other character we've met so far. The writing is brilliant.

Updated with the Final Trailer! The game will be out on June 16th!

The Last To Know

Very cool trailer. I'm sure your game will really take off.

Chomba

#45
By the way, this game is already out!  8-0 8-0 (can be found on itch and Steam)
Was announced on the AGS discord!

Edit: I had not seen the post in Completed Games :P

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