Neil Gaiman has been spoiling us lately. He has already been working on a new prequel to the beloved Sandman series, he just released a new book, and now it has been revealed that the author has been working with The Odd Gentlemen and Moonshark to create a video game. Titled Wayward Manor, the multiplatform game sounds like it fits perfectly with all of Gaiman’s witty, whimsical, and dark works. The game follows a ghost residing in his home for 200 or so years as he deals with the many tenants who come to stay and learns about his own life and death.
The game takes place between the 1920s and some time in the not-too-distant-future. Taking a note from Gaiman’s personal experiences living in the area, it’s set in the titular manor in New England. The story draws inspiration from some of Gaiman’s lifelong favorites, including Blithe Spirit, The Man Who Came To Dinner, and Arsenic and Old Lace. Gaiman talked to Mashable about the new video game, describing his thoughts on creating a compelling story for the player to interact with:
IÂ was playing around with an idea essentially about a man and a house over a period of 200 years, thinking how much more fun it would be if the story of this relationship was actually something you could get involved in.
Despite his unbelievably busy schedule over the past year—promoting his new book, working on the new Sandman comic, and even writing for Doctor Who—Gaiman was determined to work with The Odd Gentleman and Moonshark to finally make a video game. In fact, the sci-fi and horror master worked on several video games in the 1990s, but none ultimately came to fruition. However, he explained that Wayward Manor became too enjoyable to work on not to complete. Via Mashable:
Back in the late 1990s I spent a lot of time working with various gaming companies. What tended to happen is I put an incredible amount of work in these things and just as something was about to happen, the company was about to go bankrupt…Â I think the biggest surprise is I did it and got involved in [Wayward Manor]. Nobody would have expected it and I didn’t have the time. It just got fun and I had to make time.
The game, which Gaiman describes as “lighthearted” and “goofy,” apparently centers around a story the author has been contemplating for a while. The “first part” will be released this fall, according to the Moonshark mobile video in which Gaiman introduces the game. Gameplay will center around puzzles and adventures as the poltergeist protagonist scares away the squatters in his home. Apparently, as part of the promotion for the game, one lucky fan will also get to have “the single spookiest dinner anyone has every had… in Los Angeles.” You can take a look at the introductory video below to hear what Gaiman has to say about the game and get a glimpse of what it will look like.
- Neil Gaiman and George R.R. Martin At W00tstock
- New Sandman Prequel Cover by Dave McKean
- Sandman Prequel Cover By J.H. Williams III
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Published: Jul 25, 2013 02:45 pm