We’re trying something similar, but in this case you, as the player, must determine which perspectives to move toward with.”

“Kirk is the steady guy who has to take two separate perspectives and somehow combine them: Spock, who’s logical, and McCoy, who’s emotional. Īside from being a particularly magical number, Brain&Brain also chose to use three main protagonists because they “think there’s something to three characters with disparate viewpoints.” Taking inspiration from the original Star Trek (1966), the companions mimic the dynamic between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. So it’s much more organic to player action.” Shaping the player’s perception and choices are the three seamen: Hasty Beard, Brave Beard, and Steady Beard. Instead, “we’re trying to let you take action that irrevocably shapes the direction of the story. David and Brooke explained that they didn’t want to fall into the trappings of A/B storytelling, or good/bad moral decision-making. The companions mimic the dynamic between Kirk, Spock, and McCoyīut one aspect that is difficult to pick up on in the trailers is their different approach to branching narratives. It may not have anything to do with the main story at hand, but “it’s something that both enriches it and lets you as the player have more control over the world.”Īs detailed by the trailer (above), the game is setting sail for September 29th, where it will be available on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. Inviting curious players to discover its small joys, you can click on a mama chicken only to watch her pop out an egg that you can then click to hatch a little yellow chickity (you can actually repeat the process five times, bringing an adorably tiny new life into the world each time).

Inside one of the buildings is a chicken coop that does nothing to further the plot, but charms you into exploration anyway. In the demo I played, you explore a lovely fishing town, complete with all the classic archetypal villagers, like an old crone, a surly man, and a smith. At heart, Burly Men at Sea is a softie, taking you on what married duo David and Brooke Condolora call a “quiet adventure.” The game consists of many branching narrative vignettes devoid of puzzles and high scores, but with plenty of optional and delightful interactive play experiences. The name captures the game’s unique sense of gentle masculinity, with a ruggedness that only goes beard-deep. “We had that name in our head before we even started making games.” If you didn't have such a fantastic adventure to go on, you might just stay there. Encountering its rosy-faced villagers and cheerful smokestacks feels like pulling a warm blanket over your head. “We knew we were making Burly Men at Sea before we knew what it would be,” said co-creator David Condolora. In line with that trope, the starting Village of Burly Men at Sea has all the rustic charm you'd expect from the people who invented Hygge. Heeding the call of the blue siren, you join them as they gallivant across the sea and a storybook of various Norwegian haunts. You embark on a journey as not one, not two, but three Brothers Beard, who put the lumbersexual hipster trend to shame. Just hearing the name Burly Men at Sea-along with watching its trailers, filled to the brim with a bouncing, benevolent brawniness–effectively communicates what it’s like to play the game.

Burly men at sea videogame