Decisions, Decisions In The Novelist

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I made my way from light to light, analyzing what was going on with The Kaplan family and what issues they were working through currently. I played a guardian angel of sorts, my goal was to help The Kaplan’s with the problems in their lives. As I continued to make my way through the house I found notes scattered about with information on what was happening in the family’s lives. There were also toys from the child and several drawings with him and his dad. In these crayon drawings, the son generally looked sad and depressed symbolizing the bad relationship between himself and his father. As I quickly adjusted into the role of the family therapist, I realized that I had to do everything in my power to help them. I had just begun my journey in The Novelist, but the choices I would make and the outcomes of my decisions will not soon be forgotten.

(Every decision has an impact)

After figuring out the basics in the tutorial I soon familiarized myself with the ins and outs of the game. As I snuck around the house discovering what was plaguing the family I did so unnoticed and with ease. It soon became clear to me as I progressed through the story that The Kaplan’s were in dire straits and all their relationships were hanging by a thread. I had to do my best to help them get through their struggles as I manipulated them to do what I thought was right from the shadows.

(Time to get up close and personal)

Perhaps one of the funniest parts of The Novelist is the way you impact their decisions. You do this at night at the end of each level. The way you relay your decision on what they should do is by going up to the parent’s bed and whispering sweet nothings into the dad’s ear. I found myself laughing hysterically each time I did it, it seemed so ridiculous to me. I pictured the dad waking up in the morning wondering why he felt that he had to do what I told him to and simply complying to my tyrannical orders.

(You can't see me, nobody can see me)

Within The Novelist, there are two major factors that keep you on your toes. The first of which is that you can be seen by The Kaplan’s. This causes you to adjust your playstyle into more of a stealth role. I found myself using the lights that you could shoot into from incredible lengths to hide my presence. Within the lights, I also had the ability to make them flicker. This in turn would cause the entire family to see what was wrong with the light if they were in the current room. I found it hilarious that all of them would drop everything and stare at the light. They would all do this for several seconds like it was the craziest thing that ever happened.

(Sorry Dan, I promise that possessing you won't hurt)

I mostly snuck around the house as carefully as possible to avoid suspicion, although I wouldn’t say it was difficult to do so. There were a few close calls where I would be behind one of them and they would suddenly turn around. I managed to avoid being caught somehow even with the random turnarounds that would send me into a panic constantly. There is also an option before the game starts that makes you essentially invisible so you can just enjoy the story. But, let’s be honest, having to avoid being seen makes the game way more fun.

(Dan taking one for the team)

The other portion of The Novelist that challenged me multiple times was that you can only help 2 of 3 family members in each of the levels. This forces you to make rash decisions and to decide who is the best person not to help for the whole of the family. I usually ended up pondering who was in the least need of help each time and usually I ended up deciding that the dad was this person. I would often feel as though he was selfish and absorbed too much in himself rather than caring more about his wife and son. So, he often got the short end of the stick. I would later discover that depending on who you help can affect the outcome of the story and what changes are made in The Kaplan’s lives.

(How will the story end for you?)

The Novelist was an interesting experience that was unlike most games that I’ve played. It forces you to do all you can to make the right decisions to best help the people in the house you reside in. Although it only took about 2 hours to beat I was captivated from start to finish as I thought deeply about who needed the most help. It’s a short but sweet game that stands out because of how unique it is. If you enjoy casual games, or games where your decisions matter then I highly recommend taking The Novelist for a spin.