Rock, Paper, Shotgun

Since its earliest inception, 7 Grand Steps has been an intrigue among intrigues. For one, it comes from Dangerous High School Girls In Trouble maestro Mousechief, which already pretty much guarantees that the end result won’t step outside the box so much as it will scream forth from it, Hulk-like, in a confetti shower of splinters. 7 Grand Steps adopts a boardgame-style rule set to weave a highly reactive, multi-generational tale – letting you lift a family line from squalor to, well, pretty much whatever you see fit. I’m quite excited to find out what’ll come of my first run, though my real life habits suggest it’ll probably be widespread infamy or being held responsible for one of history’s most destructive fires. Soon, however, I’ll be able to find out for sure, because 7 Grand Steps is coming out next month.

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With Unwritten: That Which Happened now a thing That Is Happening and Ritual Dementia still a distinct possibility, 7 Grand Steps isn’t the only multi-generational story in gaming, but it’s still the only one I’ve played and therefore the one I’m most capable of writing about. It’s a fascinating game, with the appearance of a mechanical device, token-operated and belonging to another time. Mousechief’s earlier work, Dangerous High School Girls In Trouble, was a parlour game packed full of moxie and 7 Grand Steps has similarities in design, but is a much more open, user-directed experience. The demo provides a taste of the cultural voyage through the ages and the beta of the clever IGF-nominated oddity is now available to pre-purchasers. The cost is $9.99 now or $14.99 at release.

It is said that games nominated in the IGF competition immediately become ghosts, haunting the memories of journalists and the creaky attics of Twitter, but without any true corporeal form. This year’s list is less spooky than most because many of the nominees are available right now and others are just around the corner. Enter 7 Grand Steps, the new game from Mousechief, of Dangerous High School Girls fame. The game received a nomination in the Nuovo category and, having spent a few December nights absorbed in it, I reckon it richly deserves its place. A demo is now available, so you can download that and then agree with me. It’s a game about family, legends and traversing history. Video below.

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The next game from Mousechief, scurrilous indie developers behind the award-winning Dangerous High School Girls In Trouble, has been revealed. Kind of. We know for certain it’s called Arcada Mia, and while mechanical details are a touch thin on the ground Mousechief describe it as not Civilization, not Puzzle Quest, not Oregon Trail, not King of Dragon Pass and not Passage, but “bearing qualities of each”.

More details plus the world’s most abstract screenshot after the jump.
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Well, this isn’t a micro-controversy I was expecting to wake up to. A previous-RPS fave and Gametunnel’s 2008 Innovation award winner has been pulled from Big Fish Games’ portal after climbing its charts due to – gasp! – salacious content. Cue casual fans getting distinctly less casual. The fairly-hefty eight-page comments thread has the full story, but the (minorly spoilery) details can be found beneath the cut…
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This is the biggest award-ceremony welcome surprise since Belle and Sebastian won that Brit award: The WGA’s nomination for RPS favourite Dangerous High School Girls In Trouble. Frankly, it deserves an award for the title alone. We decided it was an opportune moment to talk to Mousechief‘s Keith Nemitz about their sudden brush with mass fame…
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Sometimes a developer does the right thing, and gives their game a good – nay, splendid – name so I don’t have think up a rubbish pun title. This is about as One Of Those Times as it gets.

I’d been half-following the game since I heard the name, but Leigh Alexander’s review informed me that they’ve actually released a demo for the School-set Jazz-Age-RPG that’s so arch that architects are considering putting a big platform across the top of it and using it as a bridge. While it isn’t out until early next year, and I suspect I’ll be writing more then, you at least need to play the demo from here. And if you need convincing, have a nose beneath the cut. Read the rest of this entry »