Besides being one of the best looking games of Ludum Dare 30, The Lion’s Song also happens to be one of the select few that sport really great writing. And an excellent core storytelling idea; one that has made for some classical short stories and, finally, for a wonderful short game about the quest for inspiration.
The Lion’s Song casts you as a composer seeking solitude and inspiration in a small house somewhere in the Austrian Alps; all you have with you are a few books, your notes and one of the very first telephones, which must have felt way more impressive than having access to the internet during the mid ’90s.
Excitingly, a rather lovely and obviously gadget-loving gentleman from Bohemia has randomly decided to give you a call and make sure his shiny new phone really does what it said on the box. Oh, and entertain you for a while, as the storm outside your humble abode is raging and loneliness doesn’t seem to be helping you with the arranging of notes. Talking to the Bohemian gentleman seems to be soothing your nerves and helping you organize your thoughts.
Who knows, a masterpiece might just be a few clicks away. For this is a game in which you click on things and other things happen. In a point-and-click fashion, though I really wouldn’t call it an adventure. Excellent, yes, but not an adventure.
22/09/2014 at 12:02 Lexx87 says:
Well that was an interesting 15 minutes – left me sat staring out of my own window thinking about it.
Going to go back to the Freeware Gardener’s Question Time for a catch up on last week I think – partner has surgery today so i’m working home all week, lots of time to play stuff like this between work!
22/09/2014 at 12:04 Konstantinos Dimopoulos says:
My very best wishes for your partner :)
22/09/2014 at 12:11 Lexx87 says:
Thanks! Should be fine – but she’s under general which can take a few days to recover from, so have to be around to make the foods, teas and continue our 24 marathon on Netflix.
22/09/2014 at 12:26 Konstantinos Dimopoulos says:
As long as everything is fine the preparation of food is a wonderful thing. Here’s to a swift recovery (and a lot of games)!
22/09/2014 at 16:27 Opellulo says:
A real unusual experience, with just minimal graphics and sound brings you in a blissed thoughtful state.
22/09/2014 at 21:47 Konstantinos Dimopoulos says:
Indeed. A game that really succeeded in making its point as elegantly as possible.
22/09/2014 at 20:34 Melody says:
Really excellent storytelling. It created a powerful relationship between two strangers, without feeling forced, in a couple of minutes. Really enjoyed it, thank you for the recommendation, and for the whole column, as always =)
22/09/2014 at 21:47 Konstantinos Dimopoulos says:
Excellently put. And, once again, thank you for the extremely kind words :)
24/09/2014 at 16:24 gruia says:
Writing is poor. Writing quality in games overall has dropped like hell. People just stopped reading, I don’t know
Pretty sure the guy who wrote it didn’t read more that 5 books