40love is a browser-based platform video game developed by Alexander Ocias, an Australian graphic designer and artist. Written in Adobe Flash, the game was built over the course of about half a year in Ocias’ spare time. Released online on 14 June 2010 onto various game hosting websites, it has garnered sizeable praise and scrutiny since its release, with critics finding the game to be thought-provoking while having poor controls.
Gameplay – 40love
A colourful motif appears throughout the environment if the character disobeys the narrator’s instructions.
A narrator first asks players, “are you a man, or a woman?”[1] Players who select “man” are instead told they are a “girl”. Similarly, players who select “woman” are called a “boy”.[2] Navigation is by arrow keys, which also control the ability to jump and duck.[citation needed] The narrator instructs players intermittently, sometimes to achieve goals but often to suggest actions that will kill the player character (such as falling into a pit full of spikes). Players are sometimes, but not always, congratulated when following these instructions, while disobeying the narrator results in a barrage of insults.[2] Both the player character and environment are in stark black and white, with a colourful motif appearing if the character disobeys the narrator’s instructions, or the visuals becoming more detailed but still in monochrome if the character decides to be compliant.[3]
References
- ^ Jump up to:a b Priestman, Chris (27 February 2014). “Find out how far you’ll go in the kinky power play sim Loved“. Kill Screen. Archived from the original on 25 July 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c Vincent, Brittany (9 February 2012). “A Crazy Little Thing – Exploring Love in Video Games”. G4. NBCUniversal. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Rose, Michael (2011). 250 Indie Games You Must Play (Illustrated ed.). CRC Press. p. 213. ISBN 978-1439875759.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g Kranzl, Justin (2 July 2010). “Interview: Loved‘s Ocias Seeks Depth, Player Confrontation”. Gamasutra. UBM Tech. Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Ligman, Kris (18 July 2010). “Loved: Identity, Subjugation, and Confrontation”. PopMatters. Archived from the original on 25 November 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
