This Game Uses Alcoholism As A Gameplay Mechanic

[Chet Starr]

Spate is a platformer that, judging by visual aesthetic alone, looks crazy. There's a reason for that.

The game, according to Rock, Paper, Shotgun, follows a man who has to deal with the death of his daughter. The loss is so painful, the man resorts to drinking absinthe as a means of coping.

"At the click of a button the character can take a swig of absinthe. This temporarily gives the player higher jumping and faster running abilities. But, it also makes him hallucinate, which changes the world both visually and physically. The mechanic is meant to mirror the emotional seesaw battle of drinking."

The trailer above features what I assume are the hallucinations. It's unsurprising the game is visually striking, as one of the developers works for Walt Disney Animation Studios. This other trailer, meanwhile, features some of the non-absinthe gameplay.

The developer describes the game as follows:

Detective Bluth is hired to investigate mysterious disappearances that have been occurring on an island offshore, and figures that he has nothing left to lose. The detective hopes to uncover some of the island's mysterious, but is finding it increasingly difficult to battle his own pain. The death of his daughter continues to haunt him mercilessly, and his regrets at their last moments together are chasing his pain deeper into his heart. As his absinthe use increases it becomes harder and harder for him to tell reality from fiction.

We can't know for sure yet if the game manages to tackle the subject of alcoholism meaningfully. Still, it looks like an interesting title worth keeping an eye on—and, if it's caught your eye, you can vote for it on Steam Greenlight.

[Just Silver]

promoting alcoholism? partially

[tadpole25]

i think gta 4 allowed u to drive drunk as well

[Just Silver]

ya but in gta it wasnt a main focus and the cops would at least go after you

[AbramIsaac]

Nah, I don't think it's promoting alcoholism.

It's using elements of the game as a metaphor for alcoholism. The brief moments of reprieve from reality that are at first used as a coping element become the new standard of reality, and it becomes difficult to function without it. Seems pretty cool. It promotes alcoholism less than Mario promoted mushroom use, in my eyes.

Could be interesting.

[Just Silver]

i suppose lol but he does jump higher from getting drunk which makes no sense

its interesting either way

[AbramIsaac]

Nah, I get you.

If it were just like a power up or something, I would say that it's promoting alcoholism. From what I've read though, it looks like a metaphor. He uses the alcohol to push past things (jumping and running faster) in a physical sense, but it's really just a metaphor for the emotional battles he's facing. That's why, the more he relies on the alcohol, the harder it gets to tell what's real and what isn't.

As far as power-up drugs go, meth would probably be the one to throw into a game. Not one like this, but perhaps one like Grand Theft Auto. Granted, it would be an awful thing to do, but if they could emphasize the down-sides of using it properly, it could be fun.