IGF 2011 Preview: 40 Stories by Chico State Game Studios
“Imagine, if you will, your everyday office building. Within its walls, there’s a run-of-the-mill technical support company with a bitter female employee in a sea of socially inept males. Anita, as we know her, who will try and attempt to leave her office today, but will collide with certain complications within the…40 Stories.”
This is the opening Twilight Zone-style pitch seen in the 40 Stories trailer. This puzzle game is being developed by the crew at Chico State Game Studios and has been submitted as an entry for the 2011 Independent Games Festival Student Competition.
The story sees a tech support worker named Anita Hent trying to live out every American’s dream — to leave the office and go home. Of course, this turns out to be a harder task than it looks. Not only is Anita stuck within the confines of a 40-story skyscraper, but she has also run afoul of sinister co-worker Professor Darius McDoogle, who decides to use Anita as his own personal guinea pig and zap her with his Quantum Stabilizer. This gives Anita the power to clone herself, but also makes her a greater target for McDoogle, so she must use her newfound power to escape each one of the 40 stories before McDoogle can catch her.
40 Stories is being developed by a team of over 60 Chico State University students of varying technical majors. Utilizing the Unreal Engine, the game crafts a Portal-like puzzling experience in which the player must use the cloning mechanic to solve each level’s puzzle while avoiding traps like fire pits and acid pools. Mind-bending puzzle challenges include pressing color-coordinating switches, navigating through the dark, and setting up switches in their correct sequence.
The game looks enticing and, with more than 40 levels worth of puzzling madness to offer, has the potential to be a breakout hit. It also shows potential for grin-inducing offbeat humor, if the ‘Splosion Man-style setting is any indication.
40 Stories is currently targeted for a January 2011 release for PC and can be seen at next year’s Independent Games Festival. A free, playable demo is currently available from IndieDB.
