A King Muses Despite Imminent Grim Events in ‘Statues’

The childhood game of statues, or werewolf, takes on a sinister turn in Space Backyard and Giucapan’s Statues.

It’s the day of the big party, and the king has invited all of their subjects to celebrate. However in Statues, not everything is as the monarch suspects.

Statues plays out with a simple press and hold of the space bar which switches the screen between the king’s internal monologue and their approaching problem.

Statues is short and sweet, and its definitely more of an experiment in experiences and poetry than what many might consider a traditional game. It delivers on several poignant messages at once — the starting difference between the traditional royal gear and the crowd’s modern dress shows the constant tug-of-war between tradition and progress. Meanwhile the looming shadow of the doorway, jutting out from a black, eternal wall, shows a clear separation of classes and persons. Perhaps most importantly, the stark difference between the thoughts of those in power and those living under them is a core message throughout.

Space Backyard are developing a reputation for thought-provoking pieces with the recent Bird of Passage and Like roots in the soil, having similar patterns of play on perspectives. Statues, while only short, remains my favorite.

Statues is available for free on Itch.io.

About The Author

Dann Sullivan

After almost a decade of selling games, Dann decided to try his hand at writing about them instead. A few years in and he is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Big Boss Battle, where he and his team cover games of all shapes and sizes. When not in the role, he can often be found seeking out small, memorable game experiences.

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