This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by NON PROFESSIONAL REVIEW
Background Story:
Players will take on the role of a member of a primate observation club. They will use surveillance cameras to observe the actions of "monkeys," or various NPC passersby in the game, without their knowledge. Players will deduce events through the NPCs' dialogues. "Feeding the monkeys" refers to interacting with the observed NPCs.
In real life, the player is a part-time worker. While observing these primates, they must also earn money to maintain their livelihood and purchase cages to prevent being kicked out of the club. If players interact with the monkeys, they may face unfortunate endings, but this is also a way to earn money.
**Key features
When playing games in the past, we might have encountered unsatisfying endings due to our lack of understanding of certain things. However, in this game, the developers directly provide players with a god-like perspective that allows them to peek into everyone's lives. How will players choose this time? If players have an omniscient view, do they have the right to control their own ending, or can they only be bystanders peeking at everything happening around them to satisfy their own pleasure?
Here's the translation of the gameplay mechanics you described:
Gameplay Mechanics
- Surveillance Simulation The core gameplay primarily simulates the process of surveillance and voyeurism. Players will find words highlighted in yellow within the monitored conversations. Clicking on these words records them in a notebook, allowing players to deduce and solve various events through reasoning. The initial surveillance system comes with only 4 cages, so players need to work part-time jobs to purchase more cages and upgrade their surveillance system level. Otherwise, they'll be expelled from the club (game over).
- Money System Money is a crucial resource in the game. Players need money both to maintain their livelihood and to purchase cages. Each cage costs 50 units of currency. Without money, players will either starve to death or be kicked out of the game, both resulting in game over. There are two main ways to earn money: a) Working part-time jobs, which can be boring and deviates from the main gameplay. b) Using the surveillance cameras. For example, players can record videos of the monkeys (although this also costs money) and upload them online to earn money. This method satisfies the voyeuristic thrill more. Players can even interact with the monkeys and the club, answering questions for rewards, which involves some puzzle-solving elements.
- Decision Making and Time Management As a simulation management game, players need to manage their time effectively. The game's time is calculated in days, and the NPC monkeys appear at specific times. Players need to allocate their time wisely for part-time work and earning money when the monkeys aren't present. The game also includes satiety and energy levels. Working consumes satiety, so players need to devise the most suitable time allocation strategy based on their various stats.
*Art and Music
*
This is a pixel art game with a retro aesthetic. The room where the player resides has a dark and oppressive atmosphere, while the images from the surveillance cameras give players a distorted and eerie feeling. The pixel art style is likely chosen to soften the uncomfortable sensation of peeping into others' lives in reality.
The game's background music interweaves noise with playful, mocking tunes. This combination captures both the ironically twisted pleasure of secretly watching others in a confined space and conveys emotions of unease and suppression through the noise elements. The main melody of the in-game music doesn't vary significantly, but it's worth noting the subtle BGM changes that occur when observing different events.
This artistic and musical approach enhances the game's themes of voyeurism, moral ambiguity, and psychological tension. The pixel art style creates a visual distance that allows players to engage with the potentially uncomfortable subject matter, while the music reinforces the conflicting emotions of fascination and unease that the gameplay is likely to evoke.
Comprehensive Review
**
Experience the Thrill of Voyeurism**
This game's novel approach of extending the theme of voyeurism into a simulation management game is quite innovative. Although it transforms the act of peeping from a furtive behavior into a "justified" task—failing which could end the game—it's an intriguing gameplay mechanic. As a player recommended by a classmate, my first impression was, "How can there be such an abstract theme!" However, upon reflection, this theme does satisfy our daily desire to "visually intrude" on others' lives. While the art may not be the most outstanding feature, it effectively conveys a sense of oppression within the surveillance room, successfully communicating the game's intent.
**
Puzzle-solving, but with Fragmented Information
**Although the game includes puzzle-solving elements, the overly fragmented information isn't particularly player-friendly. When I first played, I spent a long time haphazardly noting down the yellow words in the notebook before I could deduce specific events, sometimes needing to consult walkthroughs. The essence of puzzle games is to arrive at answers through reasoning, but here, the connections between clues are weak. Even logical deduction takes a considerable amount of time to reach answers. It could be described as brain-burning, or perhaps as a deduction game that doesn't really resemble logical reasoning.
Big Brother = Player?
The game has a profound satirical intent. Since the developer has previously created dystopian games, I personally suspect there are elements inspired by George Orwell's 1984. In the game, players can satisfy their voyeuristic urges, controlling many unknown factors as "Big Brother"—but what about in reality? Are we also just unintelligent monkeys in the eyes of some existing entities? Even with a god's-eye view, it doesn't necessarily lead to a happy ending. We might starve to death by neglecting basic needs like satiety while constantly prying into others' privacy. Perhaps this is also a satire on those who constantly invade others' privacy while neglecting their own well-being.
Review
Concept: 9
Art & Music: 8 (Art 4, Music 4)
Gameplay: 9
Overall: 8.6/10
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by NON PROFESSIONAL REVIEW
NON PROFESSIONAL REVIEW | Sciencx (2024-09-06T04:38:06+00:00) REVIEW#1 Do not feed the monkeys. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2024/09/06/review1-do-not-feed-the-monkeys/
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