The Amazing CYS Times
Storygame Reviews: A Game of Life and Death
By: Bluefur
Yep, that's right! In this edition of Storygame Reviews, it'll be all about the horror game known as 'A Game of Life and Death'!
This storygame, created by none other than the Great Kiel_Farren, is one of the well known (and loved) featured games on CYS! Also being a very long yet intriguing piece, it has the rating of 7/8, and the length of 8/8. It also has the maturity level of 5/8, not to mention the difficulty of 8/8. Seriously, that game is hard. It's been played over 30,000 times, but only less than a quarter have managed to finish it. Be prepared for a challenge, guys. It might take hours.
There are several endings and paths, according to Kiel. Though I have never been able to finish it ( ;-; ), I have to say that it was still enjoyable. The first time I had played it, I died. No, not literally. Unless I've actually been raised by a necromancer, here to destroy you all. *cough* It is fairly possible to make it to the final fight without the guide Kiel had kindly wrote, but those who don't like challenges should definitely check out the walkthrough.
This story takes place in the modern world- Well, sort of. I wonder if the modern world has vampires and magic. Yep, wherever there's magic, there's gotta be some fantasy in there! The main character, you, is a normal human. A normal human who'd just had a fuckin' terrible day at school. Well, isn't that jolly? What's better to brighten up your day than a good ol' visit to a haunted mansion, hm? Luckily, Layne's waiting to die with you as well. With one friend stuck in a mansion reeking of death, and the other (Melissa) with Ebola, what will you do? Then, just to make things more complicated, an insane witch is planning something. Go save the day, just don't get yourself killed.
If you're a fan of puzzle games, can handle hours of trying to obtain items, and love coyote gods, you absolutely have to play this. Unless, of course, you already have.
Oh yes, also play it if you like to punch your pillow in frustration. ^-^
Interview - Kiel_Farren
Bluefur: Hello, I'm Bluefur, as you may know already. I'm here as an employee of 'The Amazing CYS Times', run by DerpBacon. I humbly request a brief interview with you regarding your storygame, 'A Game of Life and Death'. May I please ask you some questions?
Kiel: Sure, feel free.
Bluefur: This question is often asked, so... What inspired you to create 'A Game of Life and Death'?
Kiel: Well, I had the inspiration to create a horror based CYOA around 2003. I only wrote about two items, one location, and five areas. (An apple, a mirror, an evil haunted house, the dinosaur room, the vampire room, a dark room, a maze, and the hallway, respectively.) I gave up after writing only a few scenes. I didn't know about CYS, I thought the use of items wasn't reasonable on any site I did know of, and had only ever publicly posted fan-fiction.
Years later, I found this site while delving into my nostalgia over CYOAs. I played "Mommy" and something just clicked. Around that same time, I was also replaying my favorite Sierra games from the past--games that focused on adventure filled with odd puzzles, snarky narration, and humorous deaths, which I wanted to incorporate. Basically, this game stemmed from one big trip down memory lane.
Bluefur: Ah, I understand. How long did it take you to finish 'A Game of Life and Death'? What kept you from abandoning the project?
Kiel: From the moment of its hazy inception to its final posting to-date? Eleven years. If you're only counting from when I started writing all the text you see in the story, however (I lost all the original scenes) it took me just shy of two years.
I kept coming back to the project because ... I love to write, honestly. It's a good way to deal with stress. I also grew fond of the characters, the settings, even my own stupid jokes ... and the Spring Thing contest didn't hurt as far as motivating me goes. Plus, being able to entertain people and give them a break from their daily grind is a good feeling, and a lot of the reviews have been positive, so I feel I've achieved that.
Bluefur: It was an amazing game, so there's no doubt you've achieved it. What was the most difficult part of making the storygame? Anything that just made you particularly frustrated?
Kiel: I had trouble keeping up with my own imagination, to be honest with you. I was just going to write a short story as a silly little test of the editor. That was all it was going to be and I didn't take it seriously for some time because I planned to move on quickly ... and then Layne and Melissa were created, and it changed.
Seemingly of its own accord, the game somehow became something more, with depth and personality (at least, more of both than I ever thought it would have,) and the ridiculous humor and narration that was intended as its base became a counterbalance to drama.
As it grew bigger and bigger, I began to feel overwhelmed, like I was in over my head. I'm a busy person IRL and it was my only first game, but I'd already written 400 pages! I planned on taking several weeks, sure, but it had been ten months at that point, so I tried closing off one of the paths and posting it as it was, but someone found the incomplete path and, without meaning to, called me out on not finishing it.
I was kind of frustrated with myself for trying to call it quits before it actually felt complete. Besides, the initial version was riddled with errors and had glitches and just needed ... more. So I had to take it down and give it an overhaul and I'm glad I did.
Bluefur: You probably still did better than most in the initial version. After all, you had only just been a beginner. So, had you planned, while/before you were creating it, for 'A Game of Life and Death' to be a sort-of-sequel to 'The Other World'?
Kiel: Ah ... that's a bit backwards. If it was a case of sequel / prequel, The Other World would be the sequel since it's technically in the future. That said, The Other World isn't really a canonical sequel, it's more an "Alternate Reality" of sorts. To answer your actual question: No way. xD I had no idea that I'd be getting that dark with my timelines for this series, but maybe I should've known.
When I wrote the scene that became the main inspiration for The Other World, it just felt so natural and it was especially fun to write. I may hate Vidia Hecate on principal, but I love over-the-top villains in general. Seeing her monologuing made me realize I hadn't let her live up to her full potential. She was hell-bent on creating a new world, I just didn't realize at the time that I wanted to see it, too.
When Madglee's contest theme was announced, I wanted to more fully explore the fantasy genre and I tried to think of a way to utterly destroy society with magic, maybe a way to re-work the zombie concept ... and there was Vidia just waiting for me to create a proper dystopia for her to indulge in her cruelty and rule with an iron fist. Plus, I've always wanted to do a story about the future where all our modern tech has been obliterated and we've been forced to start over, she just gave me the perfect excuse.
Bluefur: Oh, sorry. I meant to say "prequel"... Kind of get words mixed up at times, and I'm a bit nervous, so... Sorry. DX
Wow. You really get into the stories you write, as far as I can tell... It makes me jealous. Is there anything else you might want to add?
Kiel: Haha, no need to be nervous. ^^ I may not really know much about reporting, but I think you're doing well.
Well ... for anyone reading this who is relatively new to this whole thing, don't be afraid of your ambitions or your imagination. You have much more potential than you give yourself credit for--but you have to pace yourself, put in the effort, and be willing to adapt. You may take years to write an epic, like me, or you may only take a few months. Everyone is different, but that's why we have such a diverse collection of awesome games on here. I look forward to reading and writing more. :)
Bluefur: Oh, thanks. This is only my second time, and I'm already starting to screw up.
Truly great words of wisdom. Thank you for answering these questions, and this will be in the Storygame Review for this week's edition. :)
Kiel: My pleasure.