The news of 80 Days launching on Steam just reminded me that my step-brother actually believes the Earth is flat, and now I’m sad. But then I think about the fact that the multiple BAFTA-nominated, IGF-winning, flat-Earth theorist-disproving game is finally coming to PC and I’m happy again.
Inkle’s 80 Days is based loosely upon the Jules Verne novel Around the World in Eighty Days, and apparently it’s really quite special. We even previewed it. Its lead writer Meg Jayanth won a UK Writer’s Guild award for her work on the game, and that doesn’t often happen with game narratives because they’re usually shit.
As the valet of Phileas Fogg, Passepartout, you have to manage Fogg’s globe-trotting expedition to get around the world in 80 days. It’s a narrative adventure under pressure and you’re in the driving seat.
“Every city and journey is narrated via an interactive story where you control every action,” says the Steam page. “Will your choices speed you up – or lead you into disaster? Will you earn Fogg’s trust and respect? Will you uncover the secrets and short-cuts that can shave days off your time? Murder, romance, rebellion and intrigue await!”
This isn’t just a straight port, either. The PC version adds more parts of the world, more storyline and more everything, really. With a word count of 750,000, 80 Days is likely to stay feeling fresh for a good few trips.Check out the launch trailer:
It’s £6.99 on Steam.