Spiral – Folklore Games

Press kit — Spiral

Factsheet

Developer:
Folklore Games
Based in Montreal, Qc, Canada

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

Platforms:
– PC and Consoles

Kickstarter (soon)

Website:
Folklore.Games

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

The game’s initial idea came from a personal realization we had due to events close to us. Sadly, many cases of diseases causing cognitive degeneration like dementia and Alzheimer have been diagnosed in our families in a short amount of time. The impact of these changes in our lives brought us to realize that even though these diseases are present in the collective consciousness, very few people talk about them during their life. And so we decided to open a dialogue in the way we best know how, by creating a game.

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 help drive the game’s rich narrative.

Episodic: The game will be broken down into 4 episodes, each focusing on a different aspect of Bernard’s life.

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, many of them will also include mechanics especially tailored to the events of that memory, helping them experience what Bernard experienced.

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.