The Graveyard

March 22, 2008 6:06 PM

The Graveyard: Walk through the graveyard. Sit for a spell. Walk back out again. [via Jay Is Games]

"Buying the full version of The Graveyard adds only one feature, the possibility of death. The full version of the game is exactly the same as the trial, except, every time you play she may die."

posted by brundlefly (15 comments total)

I can certainly see why this wouldn't run on Linux, let alone in a web browser.
posted by DU at 6:10 PM on March 22, 2008

If you're going to make participants (I'm not sure "players" is appropriate) spend that much time watching your model walk, you should make sure the walking animation is really tight. The feet not tracking with the ground just bugs me constantly.
posted by agentofselection at 6:26 PM on March 22, 2008

Where are the zombies? Why give her a cane if she's not going to have to fight off the rampaging hordes of the nightmarish undead?
posted by Joey Michaels at 6:41 PM on March 22, 2008 [1 favorite]

Which button do I press to dance?
posted by Serial Killer Slumber Party at 6:53 PM on March 22, 2008

That was actually kind of interesting. I like seeing media being used in new ways like this. It's more like a short film than a video game. A short film with a little bit of interactivity to make you feel how old she is.

On the way to the bench, I just plowed on through. On the way back, I let her rest a bit whenever she started limping.
posted by painquale at 7:05 PM on March 22, 2008 [3 favorites]

Okay so... no to zombies. Does she at least get to dust a vamp? I'm not downloading this unless she dusts a vamp. Or is that gonna be in the ten dollar version?
posted by ZachsMind at 7:08 PM on March 22, 2008

OK, I'm all for artistic games, but there was absolutely no reason that that needed to be a game. Walking the character down to the bench did not invest me in her any more deeply than just watching her do it by herself would have.
posted by ignignokt at 7:26 PM on March 22, 2008

Your problem is that you think that being a movie is the default.

Even if justification for interactivity were needed, I thought that this one had justification. This is more interesting as a game than a movie.
posted by painquale at 7:44 PM on March 22, 2008

The other games by the same developers look really atmospheric and unique.

The Path
8
The Endless Forest (This one reminds me of Seaman)
posted by painquale at 7:51 PM on March 22, 2008

Review by Wired.
posted by brundlefly at 8:01 PM on March 22, 2008

There's this, too: The Kiss Incorporator.
posted by painquale at 8:17 PM on March 22, 2008

Hit f3 and the old lady farts.
posted by Dizzy at 8:51 PM on March 22, 2008

Controlling a character who wasn't in perfect health and full of agility and speed was an interesting experience. I definitely think the interactivity was worth it. I'm glad there are people interested in doing experimental games like this--it reminds me a bit of some of the artsy text adventure experiments in the interactive fiction community. I hope that tools to create things like this become more common, powerful, and accessible. Maybe that way, more games/interactive artwork with really innovative ideas (like the ones from Tale of Tales) can be produced without the need to appeal to the lowbrow, money-obsessed Gaming Industry.
posted by rivenwanderer at 10:15 PM on March 22, 2008 [2 favorites]

I bet she eventually gets bit by a vampire and it makes her younger and totally hot and then she has to fight radioactive werewolves. I'll just make her listen to that song a few more times until night falls and the Maurice Chevalier dude attracts nosferatu.
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:09 PM on March 22, 2008

I hope I'm not the only one that would get a lot better use out of their time if, instead of messing about with "game" to get the "look and feel" of being old and visiting a cemetary, I actually went in real life tp visit my grandparents do do the same.

That said, interesting concept. I just think that sometimes we try to hard to spend time in the virtual world when better experiences await us in the real world. Hence, I'm actually more patient with video games that take us to places to see and do things that do not exist rather than artsy "games" that try to mimic what I should go out and experience first hand.
posted by Muddler at 8:21 AM on March 23, 2008