A Mortician's Tale Presskit

Factsheet

Developer:
Laundry Bear Games
Based in Toronto, Canada

Release date:
October 17 2017

Platforms:
Windows
Mac

Website:
laundrybear.com/a-morticians-tale

Available From:
$9.99 - Steam

Description

A Mortician's Tale is a narrative-driven death positive video game where you play as a mortician tasked with running a funeral home. Take on the role of recent funeral direction graduate Charlie as she learns the ropes of the business and industry. Prepare the cadavers of the deceased (via embalming or cremation), attend their funerals and listen to their loved ones' stories, and interact with Charlie's coworkers, clients, and bosses. A Mortician's Tale is an informative, honest, and sometimes humorous look at the current state of and the future of the western death industry.

History

Laundry Bear's debut game and current project, A Mortician's Tale is greatly inspired by the works of Caitlin Doughty, The Order of the Good Death, and the death positive movement. After reading Caitlin's book Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, A Mortician's Tale designer and artist Gabby DaRienzo (Graceful Explosion Machine, Celeste, Parkitect) was inspired to make a game about the western death industry. She originally created a simple pixel art prototype using PICO-8 that she called Mortuary Simulator, but after receiving a large amount of interest in the game and genuine questions about the death industry, Gabby decided to team up with game developer Andrew Carvalho (Soundshapes, LOUD On Planet X) to make it a full 3D game. They have since collaborated with musician Halina Heron (Moon Hunters, The Beginner's Guide, The Yawhg), illustrator Jacquelin de Leon (The Sirens of San Francisco), sound designer Jen Costa (Fate Tectonics), writer Kaitlin Tremblay (Ain't No Place for a Hero, Those Who Make Us, Say When), and audio programmer Robby Duguay (Graceful Explosion Machine, We Are Doomed) to bring A Mortician's Tale to life. A Mortician's Tale is made possible with support by Ontario Arts Council.

Features

Explore the colorful world of Rose and Daughters Funeral Home — from the morgue itself to the viewing room where funerals take place
Prepare 8 different cadavers using realistic tools and procedures involved with traditional burials and cremations
Talk to the deceased's loved ones, discover their stories, and learn how each of them mourns in different ways
Follow Charlie's journey at Rose and Daughters Funeral Home as it transitions from a family-run business to being bought and owned by a massive funeral conglomerate and beyond
Discover some real life truths about the current state of and future of the western funeral industry

Videos

There are currently no trailers available for A Mortician's Tale. Check back later for more or contact us for specific requests!

Images

Download all screenshots & photos as .zip

Logo & Icon

Download logo/icon assets as .zip

Awards & Recognition

"Official Selection — Double Fine's Day of the Devs, San Francisco, Fall 2016" Double Fine

Selected Articles

""After being immersed in [A Mortician's Tale] for several hours of gameplay [players] might emerge slightly more prepared for their own permadeath.""
- Jennings Brown, Vocativ
"『なかなかヘビーな題材なのだが、“Death Positive”という考え方（死を誰にでも訪れるものとして肯定的に捉える）に基いているということもあってか、薄紫系統でまとめられたカラーリングをはじめ、絵柄は結構ポップ。』"
- Mill Yoshimura, Famitsu
""[A Mortician's Tale] is a type of moving on: one that takes us from a world where artifice and obfuscation preside to one where the grave — whatever shape it holds — is no longer a dirty word.""
- Sonya Vatomsky, Haute Macabre
""“People are slowly becoming more interested in talking about death” and particularly alternative ways of dealing with it; there’s more interest now in natural burials, home funerals, and spending time with the body of a loved one after their death. And while A Mortician’s Tale could be seen as bleak, DaRienzo promises that it ends on a hopeful note. It’s looking toward “a more honest future, a greener future, and a loving future.”""
- Christine Ro, Inverse

Monetization Permission

Laundry Bear Games allows for the contents of A Mortician's Tale to be published through video broadcasting services for any commercial or non-commercial purposes. Monetization of videos created containing assets from A Mortician's Tale is legally & explicitly allowed by Laundry Bear Games. This permission can be found in writing at https://www.indiedb.com/games/a-morticians-tale/presskit.