Indie videogame study 1: The Silver Case 1999

The indie videogame study series is a short series of videos were I play independent, non-mainstream and non 'triple-A' videogames, commenting on what sets them apart from standardised videogame production conventions. These case studies will prove excellent examples of fandom, non-mainstream videogame design, and will be an excellent counter-example to use in the final exam. The Silver Case is a Japanese adventure game released for the Sony Playstation 1 in 1999. The majority of it's gameplay consists of reading an increasingly complicated and ridiculous narrative, and occasionally clicking to investigate the main character's surroundings. The game itself is clunky, frequently boring and absolutely not fun to play, and it's hard to avoid the fact that this was intentional. The delirious narrative is designed to infuriate and confuse the niche gamer, who will instead turn to online message boards and social media to piece together the mystery. The Silver Case and it's sequel The 25th Ward are right up there with my own personal favorite games of all time. They prove that videogames can be challenging to players and to the videogame industry. This video contains strong language. This video contains copyright material from Grasshopper Manufacture and Marvelous Entertainment.