So when I found Die2Nite, I was very excited. It took me a while to warm up to the game and the idea (I'm sick of zombies, too), but once I got into it, I found some brilliant design. Keeping things simple is a rarity in games these days.
Click past the cut where I'll discuss how Die2Nite creates atmosphere, tension, and a wonderful gaming environment with just a few icons and a browser.
 "At the time of this writing, there are only three survivors in my town. Over the last two days, we lost something like 30 people, and I feel pretty good that I made it this far."  |
I'll walk you through a typical day (the last day, probably) in the town I am in.
At the time of this writing, there are only three survivors in my town. Over the last two days, we lost something like 30 people, and I feel pretty good that I made it this far. When I first arrived at the town it was tiny, but as more people joined, it was obvious that the camp was really becoming an active, small city. We would spend our day going into the desert and scavenging for important items like metal bars, then we would bring them back to donate to the cause of defending ourselves.
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"The hordes come at midnight every night, and even the website shuts down during the attack. After it is over players log in to see who survived, then they start the process -- and the day -- over." |
It's amazing how this odd browser game, which uses nothing but text and a bit of Java and Flash, makes you feel. I think that feeling, or creating that feeling, is something that we are missing in many recent MMOs. Everything is so obvious, so spoon-fed to the player, that imagination is almost pointless. After all, why imagine a mighty steed when the mightiest-looking steed you have ever seen only costs 50 silver and stands right in front of you? Music in today's gaming is pure bliss, and graphics ensure that we see everything we need to see.
Somehow, though, I found myself dreaming about Die2Nite and the plight of my lonely citizen more than my main in RIFT or my character in Mabinogi.
This means that anywhere I went, I was able to check on the progress of the town. Despite the fact that I could not do anything once all my AP points were exhausted, I found myself checking the forums obsessively. Who was stealing from whom? Were we running out of food? I had to know.
So is Die2Nite really an MMORPG? I would say it definitely is. First of all, the "massive" part of the equation is open to interpretation. No one player has the ability or the right to define what "massive" is. In fact, any argument about what "MMO" means will always be filled with several different definitions. The towns in Die2Nite have the ability to grow and grow, but I imagine that they never grow too large, thanks in large part to the culling effect of midnight undead invasions. Is there persistence in the game? For sure. If you do die, you become a "soul," just like you would in many "normal" MMOs. You drift off to find a new town, and the process starts again. You even gain titles, stats and bonuses as you survive longer. Players have an effect on each other, and towns go on even if you log off. In fact, logging off a lot will normally mean that you might come back to find yourself dead or surrounded by zombies.
The game is MMO-lite, though. But it works and does its job so well. It can fit in your pocket, and no graphics card upgrade is needed.
Brilliant. Just brilliant.
Each week in MMObility, Beau Hindman dives into the murky waters of the most accessible and travel-friendly games around, including browser-based and smartphone MMOs. Join him as he investigates the best, worst, and most daring games to hit the smallest devices! Email him suggestions, or follow him on Twitter, Facebook, or Raptr.
