It Came From The Demoscene: POP - Methodology
The headline isn't entirely factual. POP: Methodology Experiment One might seem like a product of the demoscene, being an experimental series of audio-visual viginettes, but it isn't. To find out where it came from (maybe) you could buy the fresh new Game of the Saeculum Edition, which has arrived on Steam. It contains a developer commentary by creator Rob Lach that is, according to the trailer below, "whispered in a bedroom voice". It's also three times as long as the actual game so the whispering may be a little rushed.
*Photosensitive Epilepsy Warning*
I'll make this easy for you. Rather than asking you to buy the game, listen to the commentary and report back as to POP: Methodology One's origins, I'll share some information with you, direct from Mr Lach, the whispering bedroom.
POP: Methodology Experiment One is an experimental game by Rob Lach which was designed music first, with the gameplay and aesthetic derived from the creative flow of the music production process. What emerged is an emotional psychedelic roller-coaster of interactive vignettes.
I played POP back in May, when it was available for free was part of a "Greenlight Bribery Scheme". “Vote for POP on Greenlight immediately and help secure Valve’s grasp on the industry!” claimed the press release. And people went ahead and voted, revealing some unpleasant truths about bribery, industrial grasps and free games. Perhaps 'unpleasant truths' is pushing it. Maybe fun was poked and giggles were had.
Either way, it's an interesting experience. Each vignette is a weird music video from a place of glitch and variable mood, with light interaction for you to prod at. It's currently £2.09, with a 25% launch discount.