Gamer Mom (freeware browser game)

[gekiganwing]

I found this one thanks to a post on Indie Games Festival. While Gamer Mom is described as a text adventure game, and "a character adventure game" on its own site, I'd say it has more in common with visual novels. No puzzles to solve, no need to input commands, and the graphic user interface just allows the player to click on a choice to continue.

This is essentially a short story about a family's conversation. The mother is talking about World of Warcraft, and she is trying to get her family interested in her hobbies. There are multiple endings.

I'm not sure if it would be fair to compare this to the indie game Facade. Someone else probably knows far more than I do about it...

[Zylinder]

Haven't played the game yet, but I just wanted to say that the autobiographical comments in his code (The one linked in the comments on that page) are very interesting. Definitely pulled my interest, not only to the work but to his person as well. Will definitely play in a bit.

[Taleweaver]

This. Is. Depressing.

Can't get them to listen. Walkthrough, anyone?

edit: no walkthrough necessary.

There is no good ending. There is something that _seems_ to be a good ending at first (by a hilarious turn of events) yet it eventually becomes just as depressing as the rest of the game. Either you give in early, or you give in after your family tells you in no uncertain terms that you're no longer important to them. Not really a visual novel, more an exercise in spreading depression. And I mean that in a good way.

[Zylinder]

Played it too. According to the game creator, there IS a good ending, though some people spent 1-3 hours looking for it and didn't find any. Apparently it had a heart image of some kind? Of course, good is pretty subjective too so...

It's a depressing game, but also very thoughtful. If nothing else, it's a good exercise in empathy.

[redeyesblackpanda]

I played it and felt sad. Very sad... I don't even play WoW... The portrayal of the family seems pretty realistic.

[Taleweaver]

Played it too. According to the game creator, there IS a good ending, though some people spent 1-3 hours looking for it and didn't find any. Apparently it had a heart image of some kind? Of course, good is pretty subjective too so...

The "heart ending" is an open ending, at best. It's a small, small sign that someone in the family still feels at least something for the mom. Though if you think about it, she's still not really anybody's priority...

[Argeus_the_Paladin]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't particularly find this depressing. Not at the level of The Company Of Myself, All That Matters, Don't Look Back or You Have One Chance, no. Maybe it's because of WoW as the subject matter, which I personally see as a frivolous thing anyway.

[LVUER]

I think it's not the lack of family's interest for WoW that depressing, but how they treat the mother like that... at least that's for me. They could at least pretend to be interested and then politely (or cleverly) reject.

[Zylinder]

For me, it's more because this is just another day for her - that is, this has been her life for a long time, and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. And I feel that it wouldn't have made any difference if she had wanted them to go on a picnic, or visit a theme park, or go fishing. The reaction she would have gotten would be pretty much that exact same thing. Being ignored is a pretty hurtful experience. Of course, that's my interpretation of the game based on a lot of assumptions.

@Taleweaver

Y-You got it!? @_@ Do you have any kind of walkthrough/tip on how to get there?

[Argeus_the_Paladin]

I can see that, yes. Still doesn't make it too depressing... if only because in today's world this is supposed to be commonplace. I can easily see where the daughter and husband is coming from here: "Bah, my old woman and her good-for-nothing hobby again" and "Good gosh, can't she see that I'm propping this whole family up all the time? Why not do something more productive and leave me alone?" respectively.

There is also the fact that, as I said, WoW is a frivolous thing. That the mother brings it out as a (good-intentioned) attempt to bring the whole family together just screams juvenile and irresponsibility to me. Now, if the subject matter were something much, much more important - a distant relative on the mother's side of the family being sick and she wants the whole family to help out, for instance - the message would ring home that much more powerfully. Or better still, don't mention what it is that she is trying to persuade the family to support her to focus on the fact that she is being ignored rather than her hobby is being ignored. Not that the game doesn't try to portray the first, but the second is too much of a red herring.

Just my two cents. At the end of the day I guess it boils down to perspective.

[Taleweaver]

I think it's not the lack of family's interest for WoW that depressing, but how they treat the mother like that... at least that's for me. They could at least pretend to be interested and then politely (or cleverly) reject.

Exactly.

The game strongly hints that this is mostly the mother's fault, though. First of all, her firm belief that WoW can bring the family together is shown as... counter-productive, the reactions of both daughter and husband reveal that she and her love of WoW may be what originally brought the family apart, and her over-enthusiasm probably DOES seem creepy to most people who aren't into the game. So essentially, you get thrown into a hopeless situation, with the game's message being "once you're this far, the situation is beyond repair".

This is why I consider this a piece of good, even brave writing. Denying your readers a happy ending if the story can no longer have a happy ending is a daring task.

Y-You got it!? @_@ Do you have any kind of walkthrough/tip on how to get there?

Well - not I got it. Someone on jayisgames got it:

1.As soon as that button appears click Engage them in chitchat.
2.Keep clicking School until it disappears.
3.Click Engage them in chitchat again. This time keep clicking Work until that button disappears too.
4.Click I think it might be safe to ask and then I'll just ask.
5.Choose to Be subtle and click They need more fun.
6.Choose to Give up.
7.Click He's interested twice. Then Set up the game just once.
8.Click the Heart twice (until it disappears). Click Set up the game once more and click the Heart to end the game.

Open ending.

[LVUER]

Tried it once again, thanks for the walkthrough

The open ending is pretty good. At least the mother get a chance, hope she doesn't blow it this time?