The room is illuminated only by the computer monitor in front of you. Upon the screen is a welcoming menu that takes up the entire monitor, inviting you to play. The background looks like a scene from a stop motion animated film. With its vibrant, rich colors and ambient music, it is completely captivating and tempting. The urge to move the cursor over to the ‘new game’ button grows stronger.
Would you like to play a game?
Click.
Suddenly, the menu screen disappears, replaced with complete darkness. Anything but your computer. Hastily, you attempt to open your task manager but nothing is happening. Your concern is intensifying and have begun to feel dizzy.
Out of nowhere, a tune chimes in from inside of your head. What is that blasted noise? There is a strange pull towards the monitor. You’re being sucked into your computer screen! The room around you disappears.
You awaken in a foreign world surrounded by lifeless trees, ruined buildings, and tombstones. There is a glowing snowfall matching the mushrooms on the ground. This place looks slightly familiar.
Wait, it’s like the menu of that game! But how is that even possible?
A strange pipe instrument is resting in your hands.
“You were saved by a ghost piper, you know,” a feminine voice calls from ahead of you.
What is that?
“They guide lost souls through the darkness! The piper melodies show the way,” another woman chimed in. These voices seem to be from up ahead.
You follow the voices. Two girls appear in front of you, resembling one another.
“We are the witch sisters, Mora and Kiki,” the blond sister says as she pokes the ground with a stick.
“Knite, the marsh imp!” the red headed one shrieks, “you must guide the lost spirits with your song like the many generations before you!” She extended her index finger at him and squinted her visible eye, “It is your responsibility in Mistland.”
But this doesn’t make sense, you were just in front of your computer a moment ago, now you’re somehow an imp? This cannot be real, what is happening here?
You look up at the sky, a full moon rests in the sky elegantly. Something about it seems significant, as if it were gravely important.
“Whenever there is a full moon you must play,” the blond witch says, “it is of utmost importance.”
You look down at the piper, confused. You get teleported to a clay-made world and they expect you to be a musician? How rude.
“It is very simple to play, Knite. Just try, you’ll know what to do.”
The witches watch you eagerly. With a deep breath, you blow into the piper and begin to play a small tune.
Your body is pulled backwards, a familiar sensation. Where are you going? You just got here! Everything begins darken.
Your eyes open to find the welcome menu still open on your screen, still asking you to play.
Knite and the Ghost Lights awaits you.
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Knite & The Ghost Lights is a stop motion adventure game from Mobot Studios that is currently in production. No word on a release date yet.
You can check out other editions of Julies’ “Another View” column right here.