The Indie Game Magazine October 2015 | Issue 54 | Page 10

SUBFEATURE

by Bonnie Burgette

A Lesson in Repression

O

ne hallmark of
roguelike survival
games is that
many of them take place
in fantastical worlds, with
situations that are quite
unlikely. They’re filled with
characters and creatures that
players have only seen in their
imaginations, or in other fictional
media, and disassociation with the
concept is easy. We Happy Few is
taking the survival genre to a different
level, with a look at an alternate piece of
history mixed with a quite modern take on
human interaction.
Compulsion Games is primarily known for
their musical puzzle game Contrast, in which
players use shadows to navigate a vintage
world of vaudevillian drama and intrigue.
Now, they’re bringing a unique perspective on history to a little town
in England, with one basic
question
as

the root of their production: What if England had lost to Germany in World War II?
The Blitz was a tumultuous time, with a great
deal of damage to affected areas, and many
lives lost. Philosopher George Santayana said,
“Those who cannot remember the past are
condemned to repeat it,” but there are some
things human beings may wish to forget,
consequences be damned.
The residents of Wellington Wells, where their
latest game takes place, have chosen, either
through collective vote or internal pressure,
to forget about The Blitz by self-medication.
We H