A Guidebook of Babel

Release Date: August 3, 2023

Adventure, point-and-click, 2D, crowdfunding, indie games, time manipulation, singleplayer

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An adventure game, in which we arrive aboard a ship transporting deceased spirits. A Guidebook of Babel tasks us with changing the pasts of four passengers, helping them deal with their problems.

Plot
Mechanics
Technical aspects

A Guidebook of Babel is an adventure game, its main mechanic being the butterfly effect. It's the debut game of an indie studio StarryStarry.

Plot

A Guidebook of Babel is set aboard the titular Babel, a ship transporting the souls of the dead to the afterlife. The player wields a pen capable of rewriting the past, being tasked with changing the lives of four passengers. On the way we learn more about Babel and the afterlife, learning the truth about them and entangling outselves in various intrigues. Though the subject matter seems serious, the game is very humorous.

Mechanics

A Guidebook of Babel is a top-down game. The players traverse different locations, talking to Babel's passengers. Over time, we gain clues which let us manipulate the past events experienced by the four main characters. Our task is not easy, as due to the butterfly effect, changing even the smallest detail can change the future beyond recognition. This means the player can never be sure of the consequences of their actions. As if that wasn't enough, the characters' stories are intertwined, meaning changing one of their fates can affect the lives of the others.