Two of the games I’ve played recently both happened to be about death, and each one brought their own spin on the subject matter.
Speed Dating For Ghosts
Speed Dating for Ghosts caught my attention with the name alone, but sucked me in with its humour and also its genuinely heartfelt moments throughout.
Starting out, you’re prompted by event organizer Fran to choose one of three rooms, each with three ghosts to speak to and eventually date. I very much enjoyed the variety of looks for each ghost, each one was unique and not simply a variation of the archetypal “two holes in a sheet” ghost.
Once two rounds of conversation have ended, if you showed enough interest in them through your dialogue choices you can now choose which of the three ghosts in the room you want to date.
The dates were where the game shines most (as expected), and there are so many different ways they can play out depending on what you do and say. The majority are not necessarily romantic, and range from helping your date get closure for something that happened in life, making mischief, or just spending time together. Many of these endings can be bittersweet and happy, though some are left ambiguous.
Once a date has ended, you are returned to the main menu. Your date’s entry in the graveyard is recorded and you can view information about their life, death, and replay your date if you choose. You can re-enter the speed-dating venue and go on dates with the remaining ghosts. However, if you didn’t seem interested enough during the earlier conversation, some ghosts may not reappear (I ran into this problem the first time and had to reset the game afterward to fully complete the graveyard).
There is also a “Go to Hell” expansion that appears after completing the main game where you have three more potential dates in Hell, as well as a dance party at the very end where you can revisit all of the other ghosts. I really liked this addition, especially the interactions between ghosts and continuation of the storyline from your dates in the main game. I do wish there was an option to reset save data for the expansion only but I can understand its absence.
The overall simplicity of the visuals added a lot of charm, and though it might have been fun to see certain events play out, the writing does a good job of setting the scene. Background colours and different text fonts are also used to great effect in describing locations or characters. In terms of audio, each ghost has their own sound to represent their voice, and the often lo-fi background music fits the tone of each segment of gameplay. There were instances of loud or startling noises like gasps or sirens but those were rare.
Speed Dating for Ghosts was a lot of fun. Its writing was the highlight and the characters were interesting and memorable. It’s worth playing at least once, and more to see where your choices can lead you.
A Mortician’s Tale
In A Mortician’s Tale you play the role of Charlie, a newly hired mortician at Rose and Daughters Funeral Home, beginning the day with checking her emails. The inbox contains many different conversations; usually replies from chats with her friend Jen and hearse driver Matthew, a monthly funeral related newsletter, notes from the Funeral Home Director, and the work that needs to be done that day. Clicking to reply to the work email will start your task.
Gameplay consists of preparing the deceased for the funeral; usually embalming or cremation. Each step is explained simply and is completed through clicking and dragging items or equipment. Once the body is prepared, you attend the funeral, speak to the attendees, pay your respects and return to the office.
What you do essentially remains the same throughout the game, which may come off as repetitive, but much of the story is told through reading Charlie’s emails. I especially enjoyed Jen’s funny stories and clicking the second tab in the internet browser to see what had changed. These messages to me felt like realistic representations of relationships Charlie would have with the people she knows and provides the player with additional information to consider.
The graphics are clean and simple with low-poly models and a limited colour palette. I found the visuals pleasing and seeing dead bodies did not feel unsettling with how simplified they were. Each step of funeral preparation is shown in a way that is easy to follow, and you can see the effect of each tool on the body. Despite the subject matter it didn’t feel gloomy or morbid, instead it was more cathartic to go through each process.
In my opinion A Mortician’s Tale does a good job of trying to represent the realities of the different ways people can deal with death and the difficulties that may come with it. The ending, while somewhat idealistic, was still satisfying, and I felt a sense of pride for Charlie. It only takes an hour or so to reach the end, and there isn’t much in the way or replayability, but I appreciated that it contained a lot of genuine insight into funerary practices, the grieving process, and the people involved in every step.
