Spiral – Folklore Games

Press kit — Spiral

Version Française

Factsheet

Developer:
Folklore Games
Based in Montreal, Qc, Canada

Release:
– Episode 1 – 2022
– Episode 2 – TBD
– Episode 3 – TBD
– Episode 4 – TBD

Platforms:
– PC and Consoles

Kickstarter (soon)

Website:
Folklore.Games

Steam:
Spiral – Episode 1

Description

Spiral is a third-person narratively driven exploration game sharing a poetic vision of cognitive degeneration seen from the inside.

It tells the story of Bernard, a man who wishes goodbye one last time to the memories that built him from his early childhood to who he is today. You accompany him on this journey, bearing witness to his life and remembering for him as his mind slowly unravels into the void.

History

Spiral has been conceived as an artistic representation and work of sensibilization. We did not try to represent any specific disease; instead, our approach is more poetic, trying to represent our vision as flawed and incomplete as it is, of the effects of cognitive degeneration on someone’s life and how fragile that construct that is our sense of self can be.

We chose to conceptualize Spiral as it is to show the person that is hidden behind the disease. Too frequently, people plagued by cognitive degeneration are reduced to that single fact, people discarding who they are, their value as individuals, and we forget they are the ones experiencing it in the first place. We want to bring Bernard, and through him, those people living something similar, back to the front, and help people understand them a bit more.

While cognitive degeneration is not an easy subject, we don’t want to make a tragic game. Spiral’s objective is to start a discussion, to make you feel empathy, patience and love. We want to make a game that makes you understand how important the little things in life are and how we sometimes take them for granted.

Features

Cognitive degeneration: Throughout the game, Bernard’s disease is not directly addressed. However, it will be felt in every aspect of the game. As his mind slowly fades away, so does his surroundings. More and more pieces will be missing as the environment slowly collapses around him. The Void that was at first only lurking at the edge of his memories will seep in and take over the memories the player visits as they accompany him in those challenges.

Game’s decay: That degradation will also impact the aspects outside the game world. This includes in-game menus, save files, level of completion, etc. Extending the impact of the disease to the players themselves.

A character-driven story: Bernard is the center of the story, not his disease. That being said, he was not alone. The other actors of his life, his family, his friends, all took part in what defined him and helped drive the game’s rich narrative. You will have opportunities to connect with them, not only by talking to them but also by playing with them, working alongside them or simply sharing their passion.

Episodic: The game will be broken down into 4 episodes, each focusing on a different aspect of Bernard’s life. During his earlier memories, the disease will have little to no impact. Bernard’s recollections are clear, and he has no difficulty remembering them. The effects of the disease are only marginal. However, as the game progresses, the impact will become more significant to reflect the progression of the degeneration that first affects our more recent memories. Those effects will increase on all fronts, may it be in the game’s systems, the environment, the music, etc.

Mechanics tailored to the memory: While the core of the game centers around exploration as the player ventures through Bernard’s memories, finding pieces of his past, some of them will also include mechanics especially tailored to the events of that memory. Our goal is to enhance the experience and uniqueness of that time in Bernard’s life as well as help the player connect with him by sharing his actions.

Music: Each memory will have its own auditory landscape, giving it depth and texture the way only music can.

Voices: The whole game will be voiced by actors hand-picked to play the parts of the characters filling Bernard’s mind.