Introducing The Novelist, a new game by Kent Hudson
The name might not be familiar, but his games surely are. Kent Hudson was a senior designer for AAA titles like Deus Ex: Invisible War and Bioshock 2 before he left the world of corporate studios behind to try his hand at independent development. The Novelist is the result of that decision, and it looks like it might be something quite special.
The Novelist tells the story of Dan Kaplan, a writer who is working on the most important book of his career while trying to also be a good husband and father to his young son. He takes his family to a remote summer home on the coast, unaware that the house is haunted. The twist to The Novelist is that you don’t play Dan. You play as the ghost. Through a first person perspective, you engage in stealth gameplay, you stay out of sight, observing the Kaplans as they go about their lives. You get to explore their memories, hear their thoughts, learn their wants and wishes, and steer their lives in the directions you want.
It’s up to you to shape the futures of Dan and his family. But consider each decision you make carefully. Every choice in The Novelist has a consequence, and no two playthroughs will ever be exactly the same. The game even features a procedurally generated score, ensuring a unique experience every time you play it. Check out the trailer below to get a sense of The Novelist’s story, setting and gameplay, and to hear some of the game’s evocative score.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m7rmb3QrN8&w=560&h=315]
The Novelist appears to be the stuff that indie dreams are made of: a lone developer, tired of the big studio grind, striking out on their own with little more than a dream and the determination to make that dream a reality. It offers a truly unique, intimate gaming experience, and I can’t wait to play it. If you want to know more about The Novelist, visit the game’s official website. And if you’re a Steam user, check out the game’s Greenlight page. The Novelist is scheduled for release sometime this summer.
Thanks to Manveer Heir for the heads up on this game.