MONSTERVANIA
REVIEW:
Interactive Media Arts 20: Writing and Storyboarding for Games at Irvine Valley College. Completed Spring 2018.
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Link: http://textadventures.co.uk/games/view/ibeir9z-kk6tip0op1hdna/monstervania
Tag Line: Settling down can be downright monstrous!
Introduction/Premise: Monstervania is a text adventure game for the PC made in Quest about a knight errant who must use all his cunning and skills to escape a monstrous mansion. Sir Bram faces the same fears many new parents confront, and a few that could only appear in their nightmares.
Characters:
SIR BRAM: The hero. Knight errant, crusader, monster slayer, family man.
DUKE ADAMANT: Sir Bram’s new husband. Convinced him to adopt a kid.
CREEPY MAID: An old woman who introduces Bram to the haunted house.
MONSTERVANIA: The mansion itself, sentient and hungry to dine on humans.
Player Role/Journey:
The player assumes to role of Sir Bram, knight errant returning home from the crusades to his new husband (the smoldering Duke Adamant) and their adopted child. He must overcome his poor direction sense, his vanity, and his fear of commitment to escape Monstervania and get back to his family. His poor sense of directions got him into this mess, but it’s his fear of commitment that’s holding him back from getting himself out of it... and the ravenous beasties scattered in every room aren’t exactly helping things. Fortunately, Bram is able to observe his environment, take and use objects, light up dark rooms, open containers, unlock doors, exchange money, engage in combat, and choose the order of rooms to explore.
Bram must solve a number of devious puzzles scattered throughout the labyrinthine lair, which evolve in scope and complexity as he delves deeper into the belly of the building/beast. As he steps into the entry hall, Bram is faced with three doors. One of them leads onward, but is locked. Another leads to a storage room so dark that he’d likely be eaten by a grue. In the third room, the servants’ quarters, is a candle that can light up the second room. Defeating the grue with candlelight allows Bram to safely find the key to the first door. Bram opens it and enters the next room... only for the candle to go out. Now Bram must find a new light source and another key in total darkness. And this time, there’s a lot worse than a grue lurking in the shadows.
Puzzle Cut Scene:
DESCRIPTION: Sir Bram is having a hard time working his way through the labyrinthine Monstervania, and the servants aren’t being much help. After some exploration, it becomes apparent that that the storage room which holds the key is too dark to see inside, especially with a monster attacking from the shadows. If he doesn’t carry onward through the mansion, he’ll never get out. And if he can’t find his way out, he’ll never see his family or home again.
SOLUTION: The player must first take a candle from the servants’ quarters. Once the candle is used to light up the room, the key becomes visible. The player then take the key and use it in the same room as the door with a matching (rusty) description. This will unlock the door and allow the player to proceed to the next room unhindered.
Puzzle Structure:
