Timeout in the Wasteland
Timeout in the Wasteland was written by Feneric for the NarraScope 2020 Game Jam. The theme of the game jam was "growth", and two meanings of the word are simultaneously central to this story. It features this brief introduction:
I enter my lab, ready to face another day. The end of civilization isn't quite the end of the world, so long as there are people like me who are willing to preserve little islands of it, at least. Plus achieving my lofty goals could even help with its restoration. How's that for motivation? It's not like I have much of a choice though if it isn't enough. Based on my remaining inventory and how long it takes my various plants to grow and knowing how long they'll sustain me, my calculations last night show that if I don't manage to succeed within the next five days, my long term prospects are extremely grim.
As important as the work is, it's often fairly repetitious and the thoughts and memories keep coming back to me unbidden. When I'm out in the wasteland, my mind wanders as much as my body.
Generally this is a short story in which one tries to get the best outcome over a limited five day period. The intent is that it is brief enough that it can be replayed with the intent of getting a better outcome, and it is unusual for a modern game both in that it is written in the first person and has a cruelty rating of Tough. Some players (including one of the play testers) find it stressful to play. It is survival horror in a lonely, dystopian landscape.
| Timeout in the Wasteland | |
|---|---|
| |
| Author(s) | Feneric |
| Release date(s) | 08-Jun-2020 |
| Authoring system | Inform 7 |
| Platform(s) | Glulx |
| Language(s) | English |
| License(s) | Freeware |
| Multimedia | |
| Color effects | none |
| Graphics | none |
| Sound/Music | none |
| Ratings | |
| Cruelty scale | Tough |
How It Begins
After a disaster has wiped out much of the world's agriculture, a lone scientist tries to crossbreed a plant that can survive under the new dystopian conditions outside. Things may seem hopeless, but that's almost never really true so long as one keeps persevering and can make a little progress.
Notable Features
- The protagonist's mind wanders while the player wanders the wasteland, and this is how much of the story is revealed.
Versions
Release 1
- Timeout in the Wasteland (Feneric; 08-Jun-2020; Glulx).
- Release 2 / Serial number 200621 / Inform 7 build 6M62 (I6/v6.33 lib 6/12N)
- Beta testers: Rhianon Brown and Caleb Wilson.
- IFID: 35756784-9F01-11EA-B093-0BC81A26DBA5
IFID links: IFDB, IFDB cover - NarraScope 2020 Game Jam.
- Download Gateway of the Ferrets.gblorb from Saugus.net.