A Mortician's Tale released
The death business
Dealing with a death is crushing for most people, but for some it's part of their day job. A Mortician's Tale [official site] focuses on that side of death, playing as a fresh young funeral director as she learns the ropes of the death business. Along with preparing bodies, going through the processes leading to burial or cremation, she'll handle loved ones, attend funerals, hear stories, and, you know, get on with her job. The game's out now, launched today.
So! There we are, working in a funeral home, running all sorts of tasks. We'll learn about the very physical realities of handling bodies, about the different ways people deal with death, and a little about the state of the industry. I've not had a go yet myself but am keen to, especially after reading Kate Gray's Waypoint bit on it.
A Mortician's Tale is out on Steam for £9.11/€11.99/$11.99, which includes a 20% launch discount, and is on Itch too. It's for Windows and Mac.
Developers Laundry Bear Games say they're inspired by mortician/author Caitlin Doughty and other members of The Order of the Good Death, a group of funeral directors, artists, and advocates trying to make death a bit less grim and a bit more normal. I like that. At the most recent big family death, I became a sort of second-in-command for getting things done, being there for trying procedures, and trying to make it a celebration of the person's life rather than a mourning of their loss. It was... nice? Sad, of course, but nice. It was what they wanted.