THE PROTOTYPE

About THE PROTOTYPE

THE PROTOTYPE was made by rainslices for the O2A2 VN Jam 2023, a micro jam with strict limits: one artist and writer, one editor, one programmer, one voice actor, one music track, one sound effect and no more than 1,000 words. It is built in Ren'Py and is a free download for Windows, macOS and Linux.

It opens on a videotape marked as the property of Pandaemonium Technologies, intended only for its personnel. Press play and you are walked through a preliminary model assessment of the Plaything Prototype, a companion unlike any other: a jointed puppet with a pale face and a fixed smile, seated in the dark with its hands held out. Now and then you are asked to judge it, Normal or Not Normal.

It is a kinetic novel, so the text moves on by itself and the tape plays out as it will. The horror is in the presentation: scan lines and static, sudden flashes from black to neon blue, glitching text, loud audio, partial voice acting and a 1964 recording of Happy Birthday. The maker warns of unsettling imagery and references to kidnapping. Players say the ending stays with them.

It has 999 words, one ending and takes about 15 minutes. It suits players of analog horror like Amanda the Adventurer or Maple County who want a tape they can watch in one sitting.

How to play THE PROTOTYPE

1. Download the game for Windows, macOS or Linux from its itch.io page.
2. Start the tape; the text advances on its own, so you do not need to click.
3. When the assessment asks, choose Normal or Not Normal with a left click.
4. Use the mouse wheel to roll back if you miss a line, and watch to the end.

Tips

• Read the epilepsy warning first: the screen flashes from black to bright blue.
• Play with sound on but not too loud; the audio spikes.
• It is only 15 minutes, so play it in one go with the lights down.

Questions