Below (Failbetter Games)

Below is a browser-based RPG game with a strongly outlined narrative layer, in which elements of a card and a traditional paragraph game are combined. The title is the work of Chris Gardiner, associated with the independent studio Failbetter Games (The Sunless Sea, Dragon Age: The Last Court). The title did not receive the expected support on Kickstarter, but thanks to the considerable interest of the community of players, it was decided to develop it in the form of an original project.

The action of the game begins in a place known as Gallowmore, with its past associated with a lot of dark legends. They speak of ominous glances, lurking deep in the forest and mysterious voices coming from a nearby cemetery. This place is visited time and again by brave warriors who want to take over the forgotten land. Gallowmore needs heroes, and one of them can be the player. He plays the role of one of the ordinary inhabitants of the town, whose fate pushed him to take up exceptional challenges.

When entering the game, we create our hero by choosing one of the predefined characters (e.g. a poor monk, a daughter of a local blacksmith or a young sorceress). Each of the potential heroes is endowed with slightly different qualities, which can be helpful during the adventure. Then we set out to explore the nearby undergrounds with the aim of learning not only the secrets hidden underground, but also important facts from our own past. The combination of these two elements will allow us to create a unique story with our own contribution.

The gameplay is similar to popular paragraph RPG games, in which we constantly make choices to see what the consequences are. The whole was diversified with elements of typical cards. In the game we draw cards from two separate decks, where random cards appear depending on the decisions we make during the game. The pile called Below contains locations, independent characters and potential dangers that we will have to face. Talia Above, on the other hand, represents our own memories - they are helpful in combining fragments of the history we learn into one whole. Each adventure or task completed results in the acquisition of special points, which can then be used to develop characters or create useful items of equipment.

Below draws inspiration from many sources related to folklore and the broadly understood fantasy current. Their common element is the motif of underground exploration. In the game we can find references to the history of Beowulf, Tombs of Atuan Ursula K. Le Guin or known from the Lord of the Rings of the Moria Mine. The game is available for free, but the author has foreseen the possibility of buying additional characters and dungeons using an internal micropayment system.

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Last updated on August 14, 2015