Wayward Manor
Neil Gaiman's Foray Into Video Games
Neil Gaiman has influence in almost every bubble of culture there is.
With his best-selling books like "American Gods" and "Neverwhere," movies like "Coraline," the comic book epic "The Sandman," and even a couple of "Doctor Who" episodes, the prolific writer's signature touch of imaginative horror and realistic fantasy is now breaching into a new realm: video games.
Officially announced on July 25, "Wayward Manor" tells the tale of a protagonist ghost awoken from his slumber by a group of intruders. The game revolves around the player (as the ghost), utilizing different and increasingly-difficult methods to frighten the people away so he can rest in peace (again).
Gaiman is collaborating on this project with developer The Odd Gentlemen out of Los Angeles. The Odd Gentlemen is known for the "Adventures of P.B. Winterbottom" and the Playstation Home game "Slap Happy Sam's Stageshow." 'The Odd Gentlemen's games are super stylized toward the macabre and uniquely charming, something that is sure to blend in well with the tale that Mr. Gaiman wants to weave with "Wayward Manor." Currently, the game is to be released on PC and Mac platforms.
He is also working with the mobile-game publisher Moonshark to make the game available for tablets.
As of now, there is no gameplay available for "Wayward Manor," so it is difficult to speculate exactly how the game will actually play out.
On "Wayward Manor's" website, there is currently an official announcement video for the game (featuring Neil Gaiman himself), a brief summary of the game and an introduction of the current characters. There is also a store where you can pre-purchase various packages to help the game's development and of course, get your own copy once it's released. Included in the more expensive packages at the is $1000 level where you can get your name in the game as a character and the $10,000 level where you can actually have dinner with Neil Gaiman in Los Angeles, something he promises to be an especially spooky affair.
"Wayward Manor" should be a game not to be ignored this year. With a team like this one, the player should expect a well-crafted tale and a really memorable experience. And if Amanda Palmer (Gaiman's wife) should join the team to work on the game's soundtrack, that is all the more reason to keep "Wayward Manor" on your radar.
