![]() My problem with Aouda’s - India’s - mistreatment in the original text is personal - as I happen to be Indian, and a woman. How can I write a game which is, ostensibly, about two Victorian white guys racing around the world for a bet, that nonetheless has space for Aouda as something other than a prize for the protagonist?Ī game in which the damsel-in-distress is actually a sabre-wielding revolutionary leader, where she is not only not in need of rescuing, but in fact, sees herself as rescuer? My first thought was “what am I going to do about Aouda?” It wasn’t even “how much time and effort will it take to research the entire world in 1872?” (a lot harder than I thought it would be). It wasn’t “how will I capture the spirit of Victorian adventure without replicating its morals?” (not all that hard, actually). So, when Jon and Joe from inkle studios asked me to adapt Around the World in 80 Days as interactive fiction, my first thought was not: “how can I explode the singular narrative of a novel into a thousand flexibly written incidents?” (hard work). ![]() In short, she is less a person than a trophy.Īouda is not just Indian, she is an imperialist’s vision of India: rescued from savagery and ignorance by the cool-headed rationality of an Englishman a grateful bounty that delivers itself willingly into the hands of the benign master. She is fair-skinned and soft-spoken and English-speaking and - of course - falls desperately, gratefully in love with Fogg. For those of you that haven’t had the pleasure of reading Jules Verne’s seminal adventure novel Around the World in 80 Days, Aouda is the Indian princess that the gentleman protagonist Phileas Fogg rescues from being burned alive. Here is a confession to start you off: I loathe Aouda. 80 Days is published by inkle studios in partnership with Profile Books, released for iPhone and iPad this month. Meg Jayanth is the writer of 80 Days – a steampunk interactive narrative adventure game based on Jules Verne’s ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’. ![]() There are so many different ways for this game to play out, I can't recommend it enough.Transforming Around the World in Eighty Days into an interactive story This delightful experience is available for free to Play Pass subscribers, otherwise, it's a $5.99 premium game without ads or in-app purchases that you can download to your best Android phone. Possibilities are endless in 80 DaysĪs I said, this type of game isn't for everyone, but if you have a love of travel, careful planning, exploration, taking risks, and great narrative, then 80 Days is probably going to blow your mind. ![]() The overall effect feels like playing out the novel through its illustrations, which I greatly enjoyed. The entire ordeal is made all the more fascinating through the use of excellent sound design, gorgeous orchestral music, and bold silhouettes against vibrant color schemes. Thanks to the sheer volume of options both in travel and text, there's a ton of replayability here. Conversations between Passepartout and others provide their own suite of possible replies, allowing you to steer the narrative in many different directions. Throughout this wonderful journey, the writing is, of course, superb. They can reveal crucial information about other locations, clue you in on rumors that might be worth investigating, or even reveal entirely new routes. You can also learn all sorts of useful things from seeking out and talking to the locals. You can buy it now on the cheap and sell it for thousands if you choose a route that will take you through Beirut. Maybe you're low on cash now, but there's a painting for sale in the market that's worth a fortune in Beirut. This lends a decent amount of strategy to your planning purposes. On the other hand, hiring a car is a slower, rougher ride, but it departs tomorrow morning, so you would wind up getting to Munich faster with fewer resources being used by choosing this route.Ĩ0 Days is ultimately a strategic choose-your-own-adventure, challenging you to weigh the pros and cons of each possible leg of the journey.įurthermore, as you arrive in each new location, or even while traveling between locations, you have opportunities to chat with the locals, explore your surroundings, shop at the markets, and even take out loans from the bank if your funds are running low. The train is faster and more comfortable, but it departs in three days and tickets are expensive. The world is vast and full of options as you travel to new locations, constantly weighing the pros and cons of each potential leg of the journey.įor example, you can take two different routes to get to Munich, one by car and one by train. 80 Days is ultimately a strategic choose-your-own-adventure, of sorts.
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