Have you ever wanted to play something where can actually interact with your in-game characters by typing out what you want to say? Well games like Façade provide you with that exact same experience which you have been looking for. This famous title was an instant hit since was first released in 2005 and fans of such interactive drama have been of the hunt for similar ones to play. We have listed a few out here for you, which almost resemble our main title.
1. Slouching Towards Bedlam:
The initial one we would recommend for fans of games similar to Façade is this pick titled Slouching Towards Bedlam. This single player pick is free for you to download and play and it contains all elements of any interactive fiction title, as you require to type in specific commands that will direct your character to perform certain actions such as Look, Ask, Talk etc. As you progress in this story, you will release that you are playing the role of a Doctor namely Dr. Xavier in a mental Asylum in Bedlam, where you have to investigate the cause of death of one of the patients and a weird but deadly virus called Logos that causes mental problems. The virus spreads through speech and once you are infected, it will spread to another person while you are speaking to them. As the story unfolds your character discovers that the virus was created by a group of people who were part of a magical experiment that went terribly wrong. This mystery based title has five possible endings all of which are completely different and intriguing at the same time.
2. Galatea:
The second title which is a must play for all Interactive fiction fans is Galatea which is another single player offering released in the year 2000. This title offers you a chance to interact with some other people, but unlike other titles this one revolves around communicating with one single person and not multiple characters. The story starts of in an art gallery where you notice a sculpture of a woman at the end of the room, so your character is then drawn towards this beautiful work of art named Galatea. But as you proceed to leave, the sculpted woman in the green dress suddenly speaks to you. After that you enter into an intense conversation with Galatea which will lead to several different endings, based on what you type in response to her. The duration of play of this one is approximately 10 minutes and consists of many different finales, all of which will leave you totally awe-struck.
3. Photopia:
If you are new to this genre of Façade alternatives, then Photopia is one the oldest and easiest options for you to start off with. This one consists of many non-playable characters that you get to interact with and you will also get a hang of how to type in the exact commands in order to advance in the story. The best thing about Photopia is that you have different conversation menus when you speak to other people and once you start playing you who automatically get hooked and feel eager to find out how the particular scene is going to unfold. This is one of options that is also easily available for you to play online and can be accessed from the author’s website. But while playing, make sure you type in the correct verbs and key letters or you will get stuck and won’t be able to get to know what’s going to happen next.
4. Spider and Web:
Here is another option which is meant to be played exclusively by experienced players of this particular type of genre, the author has developed a relatively complex but enthralling story base, which will confuse any new comer at first, as right in the beginning itself, you will find yourself caught up in a strange situation. As you enter into this Spider and Web scenario, you will first realize that you are playing the role of a tourist who has stumbled upon a dark alley way and then out of blue a voice starts accusing you of not telling them the absolute truth. As the scene of questioning slowly unfolds you come to know that you are actually a spy who was impersonating a tourist and the curt voice firing questions and accusations at you is an aggressive interrogator. Your only way out apparently, is to tell your imprisoners a believable version of your story and handle arguments carefully.
5. The Restaurant Game:
The last one on our list of games similar to Façade is this pick which was actually part of a research project developed by designers at MIT, in an attempt to study the player’s behavior towards other characters in the environment. Here you will get to play as either a waitress or a customer and communicate with each other by typing what you want the other person to do, for example if you are the customer you can ask the waitress to bring you a meal from the menu and type in the name of that meal, you can even make your character interact with certain objects in the restaurant, such as the waitress can use the cash register and the customer can pick up a glass of wine and drink it etc. As the customer you start with 50 dollars to pay for your meal and can order anything from the menu within that range, but since the customer can do pretty much whatever he wants out here, you can even run out the restaurant without paying the bill.
Conclusion:
Our selection of the above five game like Façade are sure to keep you engaged for a long time, even though most of the above picks may take only 10-15 minutes to complete, the elements of uncertainty and the players inability to predict the state of events that can transpire, are the major reasons that make interactive fiction and communication based titles so attractive.