The Franz Kafka Videogame
2017 indie adventure game
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The Franz Kafka Videogame is an indie adventure game inspired by the writings of Franz Kafka. It was developed by Denis Galanin.
| The Franz Kafka Videogame | |
|---|---|
| |
| Developer | Denis Galanin |
| Publisher | Daedalic Entertainment |
| Composer | Jonathan Geer |
| Engine | Moai |
| Platforms | Microsoft Windows, iOS, Android |
| Release | Windows
|
| Genres | Adventure, puzzle |
| Mode | |
Plot
The protagonist, K., gets a sudden offer of employment. This event changes his life, forcing him to make a distant voyage. To his surprise, the world beyond his homeland appears to be stranger than he thought.
Gameplay
The Franz Kafka Videogame features gameplay similar to Denis Galanin's previous game. The player interacts with the world through a simple point and click interface. The goal of The Franz Kafka Videogame is to solve a series of puzzles and brain teasers. The puzzles are sequentially linked, forming an adventure story. The game contains no inventory, and the solving of puzzles mainly consists of clicking onscreen elements in the correct order. Solving a puzzle will immediately transport the player character to the next screen.
Development
The Franz Kafka Videogame was developed over a period of 2.5 years by Denis Galanin.
The game was fully improvised throughout the entire period of development.[1]
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PC: 64/100[2] |
| OpenCritic | 66/100[3] 17% Critics Recommend |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Riot Pixels | 80/100[4] |
| Adventure Gamers |    [5] |
| Digitally Downloaded | [6] |
The announcement of The Franz Kafka Videogame in 2013 attracted the interest of such non-video game media as Time,[7] NBC News,[8] NY Daily News,[9] etc.
On review aggregate OpenCritic, The Franz Kafka Videogame had an average 66 out of 100 review score with 17% approval rating based on 12 reviews.[3]
On review aggregator Metacritic, the game received a 64 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Critics praised the visual style, while criticizing the short length and confusing puzzles. Riot Pixels said the game was "a beautiful nightmare, cozy and purple like A-minor." Renata Ntelia at Adventure Gamers said it was "a pleasant little puzzle game that will evoke a lightweight nostalgia for people that have prior knowledge of its namesake’s work," but argued that "its limited gameplay ultimately doesn’t provide anything more than a couple hours, at most, of surreal diversion." Harvard L. at Digitally Downloaded called it "a game which is often confusing and unintuitive, but it gets away with it under the guise of being true to its source material.
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Intel Level Up Game Developer Contest | The Grand Prix (Game of the Year) | Won | [10] |
| Best Adventure/Role Playing Game | Won | |||
| 2017 | The Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Best Song/Score - Mobile Video Game | Won | [11] |
| TOMMI Award | Best PC Game | Nominated | [12] | |
| TapTap Game Awards | Best Visual Art | Nominated | [13] | |
| 2018 | The Pedagogical Media Prize | Best Educational Games for Adolescents | Won | [14] |
| 14th International Mobile Gaming Awards | Nominated | [15] |