As she of orange hair, Aleks Krotoski, has said, Samorost is the kind of game Harold Pinter would have made: apparently trivial, hopelessly easy to fall into, enclosed spaces where the crazy dialogue you start coming up with in your mind seems at odds with the simplicity of the plot the game designers have conceived.
Samorost and Samorost2 have just won a Webby in the gaming category. They are free, flash-based and just full of potential for some creative writing - the art in the landscapes is surreal and beautiful, with all kinds of nooks and crannies for our imaginations to rumble in.
The slow and logical way you have to explore the landscapes with your mouse to get anywhere in the game makes you come up with possible plots in your head before you read into what you are actually supposed to do.
I'm still waiting for Myst to get delivered for some creative writing work - this is an excellent short-term alternative. Wonder what Tim thinks...
If you've not quite got half an hour to spare or, if on a late Monday afternoon you're a bit slow, then the hints might help you out.
That is just bizarre! Surreal is too week a word... first lesson, synonyms for surreal!
Posted by: Rich | May 28, 2007 at 06:11 PM
Samorost and Samorost 2 are good examples, too, of online games that English Language Learners can use for a language development activity. You can put two students on one computer, one has a copy of the game's "walkthrough" (directions), and can help guide the other through the game. (I wish, though, that Somorost 2 didn't start with a character smoking a pipe).
There are also many other online video games that are great English language development activities. Here's a post on a couple of them:
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/05/23/be-a-detective/
Posted by: Larry Ferlazzo | May 28, 2007 at 06:28 PM
Completely enchanting. Cheers!
Posted by: Antony Mayfield | May 28, 2007 at 06:45 PM
These games are superb. I showed them to some education managers and teachers when I first started at The Consolarium but they all felt that they could not use Samorost 1 in school. This was because the second screen (the one with the ski-jumping man) requires the 'pipe smoker to finish whatever it is he is smoking that will allow you to then use the key to switch on the generator. The problem was that they felt the smoking character, or more to the point what it was he was smoking, was too controversial for use in the class. What do you think? As yet, I haven't seen Samorost in schools (it'd probably get blocked anyway) but what a superb game from Amanita Design. They also make videos for Bjork and The Polyphonic Spree!
Posted by: Derek Robertson | May 28, 2007 at 10:33 PM
One other thing Ewan. 30 minutes!!! It took me two hours the first time I played it. ;-)
Posted by: Derek Robertson | May 28, 2007 at 10:35 PM
I must be G&T then ;-)
I think the game is usable - if a kid is writing a story in English they might have a character smoking, committing a crime, having a drink. You can use the episode at the beginning as a means to talk through the issues without being seen to condone it. As with all things we present in the class, it's about *talking* with kids instead of just plonking them in front of the game cold, no?
Posted by: Ewan McIntosh | May 29, 2007 at 06:11 AM
I am SOOOOOO glad you've discovered Samorost Ewan. I was first shown it by the inimitable Major Fun @ www.deepfun.com . And for what its worth *I* have used it in school and my pupils LOVE the challenge it presents.
Posted by: Drew Buddie | May 29, 2007 at 12:42 PM
Thank you - this looks amazing! The possibilities for writing, talking, thinking, sharing, exploring, making, discovering just keep popping into my head - and I haven't even shown it to my kids for their opinions and ideas :)
It isn't even blocked at school (YET) shshsh -I'd better not say that too loudly
Posted by: Kim Pericles | May 30, 2007 at 01:59 AM