That's right folks, it's the game you've been dreaming of for years! Rather, I'm guessing you'll either love it or hate it.
Below is an account of my own challenge in tracking down this elusive little title. Skip the story if you're just here for the game.
A year or so ago I brushed past this while hunting for some game I can't recall, but didn't pay it much heed. And then, suddenly, I had an unexpected insight while I was ironing my shirts; I realized that I've been searching for a game like this for years! And although I had better things to do, I spent over two hours last night furiously google-searching for this damn thing, trying every combination of words (novel, writer, author, simulation game, freelancer, text-based) that might bring it to me across the wide Metaverse. No freaking luck. I couldn't turn up anything. I went to bed totally burned out, with cramps in my wrists and thoroughly sickened by the schmaltz of the web. I began to wonder if it even existed at all; had I just made this thing up in my head?
In a dream last night I had a moment of clarity, indeed a sudden flashback that revealed to me, from the deepest corners of my brain, a minute detail that ultimately cracked this case wide open. I immediately remembered what it was I had been searching for that idle day last year - in fact, it was a Hollywood-Mogul type simulation game - when I passed this gem by. After work today I set to searching, and I had it in less than 10 minutes. I felt like a hunter sinking his teeth into a rogue deer he's been tracking for days. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the chase.
The game is Bestseller, by an indie lab called
Myrtilus Entertainment . It's like the Sims, but text-based and for grownups, and focused around the life of an author, from youth to old age.
They have few other games on their website, including a shameless ripoff of The Movies which originally brought me there. Those games are also worth checking out, if you belong to the niche demographic that enjoys these kinds of games.
Here's the description from the game's website:
"Bestseller" puts you in the shoes of an author. Your main objective is to get through the game, releasing books and rising up through the bestseller ranks to #1 in the world. You will take control over your players life, from the age of 17 to 98 years of age (that's if you live that long!).
During the course of the game you may write as many books as you choose to. During the writing process you can choose from 9 different genres (Action/Adventure, Crime, Erotica, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller or Western), 2 categories (Fiction or Non-Fiction), and select from 8 different book types (including Autobiography, Biography, Novel,Screenplay, Short Story, Comic Book (Adaption), Film/TV (Adaption), or Video Game (Adaption)).
Also on hand is the ability to select how much time goes into writing different areas of your book. Wether that be the book structure (Beginning/Setup, Climax or Resolution) or the book's focus points (including Depth/Detail, Story Pace and Plot). Also included is the ability to create sequal's to your books, name and enter book descriptions, as well as work on mass work compilation projects.
Not only can you control your character's business life, but you can also control his/her's social, and personal life! Open personal interactions include being able to buy/move out of home and upgrade your premises, taking substinces (both legal and illegal) including alcohol, cigarettes, and hullucgenic drugs (which all effect your player in different ways), being able to start a family (including dating, and every-day interactions), being able to gamble (includes 3 mini-games including Poker, Jacks-or-Better and Greyhound Racing), the ability to control your education level (3 levels of education, each with it's own mini-game, from high school TEE to university Bachelor of English), etc.
Take control of your child's player when you die, or die a single lonely death, the choice is yours (with over 6 different in-game deaths, including everything from heart attacks to cancer (caused by smoking) to even tragic, freak accidents (being killed in a car crash, or hit and run, etc).
The Create-A-Cover page allows for you to, at publishing time, create the front cover of your book from scratch. Select from 10 different book layouts, and 8 pre-made backgounds (or select from any 16 million colours, or import an image of your own!), you'll never be short of originality in your book covers. The ability to add your own caption is also available to you, as is the choice to select all fonts and up to 6 different text-colours on page.
The library is always open for you to visit, any day of the week (except weekends!). The library acts as a safe house where you can study up on your genre knowledge and become a better writer. With every skill requiring regular attention, you should soon be no stranger to the library.
Over 15 in-game publishers are available to you at any time to negotiate a contract with (and more can be added with the editor provided). Some will simply reject you (if you are an unknown author), where as some of the smaller publishers might pick you up. While negotiating you have the ability to choose your own custom contract, and if your lucky enough to have your publisher accept it and give you what you want, then your on a winning streak! Select from the term/length of the contract, how many books you will be signed to, the sales percentage from each book you will receive, if you need 'Creative Control' over your projects (this makes sure the publisher does not cancel your project if you are taking too long on it), as well as the award amount (to be paid for every book you release). Contract renewals and cancellations are also available.
Court can play a big part of your life in Bestseller. If you are a very successful author you may get the occational nut-case coming to you claiming you stole their story, and want to sue you. In other cases, you may be sued for neglegence by your publisher if you fail to keep up your end of the bargain when it comes to contracts (either if the contracts are timed out, or if you cancel them prematurely). Other cases include divorce disputes, and the claim of custody over your children (if you have any), as well as small things like tax-fraud (if you forget to pay your bills, or simply cannot!).
Screenshots:
I'm sold. I went ahead and bought the game, installed, and am now just starting a game with my new character, Murray Hatchett. I am currently failing high school but my dreams of writing an epic saga about the life of a one-armed dwarf pirate captain, Thaddeus Winslow, a fateful romance with a syphilitic Amazon mermaid, and his tragic, crippling allergy to salt all cloud my focus on schoolwork. Perhaps I should just drop out of school and become a writer. Let's see what unfolds.
Author
Topic: Bestseller: Author Simulation Game (With vices, permadeath, day jobs + more! ) (Read 11815 times)