''Elegy for a Dead World'' is a side-scrolling exploration game where the player writes a diary visible to other players. The player explores three worlds inspired by British romantic poets Shelley, Byron, and Keats. While exploring, the player makes notes on their observations. The notes are publicly visible via Steam Workshop. The collective note taking mechanic earned it an honorable mention for the Nuovo Award in the 2014 Independent Games Festival.

Development

Developer Ziba Scott credits the theme of the game to his love for British romantic poetry. Shelley's world, for example, was inspired by

Percy Bysshe Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley ( ; 4 August 17928 July 1822) was one of the major English Romantic poets. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame during his lifetime, but recognition of his achie ...

's poem " Ozymandias". Developer Ichiro Lambe is exploring the intimacy created through collaborative writing.

Reception

Early critical reception has focused on the novelty of the note taking mechanic, and the emphasis on narrative storytelling over action. On Metacritic, the game holds a score of 65/100 based on 14 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Hardcore Gamer gave the game a 4 out of 5, saying "Elegy for a Dead World may be a jarring departure from traditions, but unlike the more pretentious attempts at alternative gaming experiences we’ve seen in recent times, this is one idea that should be encouraged."

References

{{reflist 2014 video games Dejobaan Games games Walking simulators Fictional diaries Kickstarter-funded video games Linux games MacOS games Side-scrolling video games Single-player video games Video games developed in the United States Windows games Popcannibal games