I've probably touched on Lovecraft fatigue so often that it's now entering a second phase of Lovecraft fatigue fatigue. This isn't the same as a Lovecraft refresher, no matter how much I'd like to return to the days before old plushies and Cthulhu children's books mass-terrorized the internet. There's not enough information about the “story generator” sim Marry a Deep One: Innsmouth Simulator for me to confidently say that it will stave off my fatigue, all tentacled and terrifyingly gilled. But it's deceptiveIt's a heady soup, isn't it? It's got all sorts of little widgets and details that remind you of everything from Sid Meier's Pirates to classic adventure games and maybe even a little Rimworld. It's a heady soup, but considering where the water comes from, I'd advise against drinking it.
“Marry a Deep One is a story generator with social mechanics at its core,” the store page reads. “You play as an evil cult leader who exercises significant control over a small community. However, you must also fulfill the Deep Ones' demands, or they will punish the village.”
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Here's a list of features. Probably don't read it out loud. And if you do, make sure to check your neck in the mirror afterward.
STORY: The game does not follow a fixed scenario or order, but contains many random story elements that can be tied into a larger narrative. Your actions, and even the actions of NPCs, significantly affect the outcome.
SPELL: Develop creative ways to manipulate villagers even further, to the point of game-breaking. Study the documents to learn the runes you combine into spells.
POWER: Your Grimoire gives you the power to monitor the emotions, relationships, actions, and motivations of all villagers. You even have the power to choose villagers as sacrifices to the gods of the Depths.
CUSTOMIZATION: Name yourself, your cat, your spellbook, your cult, your village, your spells and your children. Try out different hairstyles, glasses and hats. Build, expand and modify the village buildings to your liking.
CATS: You can pet them.
This game is coming out sometime this year. Could it be the game that finally washes the completely mediocre taste of Dredge from my mouth? Am I going to go into detail about calling Dredge completely mediocre? No! In the meantime, if you’re craving some Lovecraft, the developers of the visual novel Dagon recently announced that they’ve raised over $50,000 for humanitarian relief in Ukraine — despite the fact that their game is free.