If you live through the 2000s and remember fondly of the prevalence of the goth and emo subcultures, well this might be a game specifically made for you.
Developed by a developer duo consists of Studio Wife and Cornmandog, I Write Games Not Tragedies is an exploration of the goth and emo subcultures as a visual novel and a rhythm game. The game follows Ash set in three phases of his life across three decades. You’ll follow along from his early days of a “baby bat” in the 2000s to becoming an elder emo in the 2020s.
Between the lingo used, the title (obviously a reference to that one song by Panic! At The Disco), as well as the punk chord progression in the music heard in the trailer, this game definitely know it’s supposed to represent. This will either expose to younger folks on a subculture they don’t see as often these days or make older ones remember that phase.
It was just a phase, wasn’t it? Not for Ash it seems.
As seen in the trailer, I Write Games Not Tragedies is also a rhythm game, presented as a lyrics visualiser that’s also a three-button-wide note highway.
I Write Games Not Tragedies is the first game to be signed under new indie publisher Yotsuba Interactive. This is a new publishing arm of Japanese-Swedish indie game marketing agency Neon Noroshi.
The name “Yotusuba” (four-leaf clover in Japanese) is supposed to evoke “the excitement and joy of a child finding a four-leaf clover for the first time,” according to the statement in the announcement press release.
The statement continues: “In a time where players are faced with an overwhelming amount of games to play, Yotsuba Interactive aims to support games that feel hyper-personalised, as though the game was created specifically for you.”
I Write Games Not Tragedies, a game created specifically for you emoheads out there, will be showcased at the upcoming BitSummit event next month in Kyoto, Japan.
I Write Games Not Tragedies has no release date yet, but it’s coming to PC (Steam).