Self-contained story now on Steam
Our dear friend Zack put Pathologic, an otherworldly game about a plague-afflicted town in which “you can’t save everyone,” on my radar. He had a fascinating journey with it that made for an equally fascinating read, and while I’ve yet to find the fortitude to try the game myself, I’m inching closer.
There’s a remake of Pathologic on the way for PC and consoles, but before that, a few-hours-long playable precursor called The Marble Nest is here to set the mood with “a self-contained short story that uses the same assets and premise and the main game, but works as a spin-off.”
The Marble Nest is now something we can all play, not just the folks who backed Pathologic on Kickstarter. Ice-Pick Lodge has tossed the not-quite-a-demo up on Steam, though there are the usual sorts of caveats about this being “generally in [a] pre-alpha state” and “not optmised.”
“Obviously, we can’t be everyone’s cup of tea. We’re not trying to. And yet we still believe that there is wisdom to be found in the reactions and criticism (or compliments?) of the people unfamiliar with the original Pathologic and our general style of development. So: please don’t hesitate to download The Marble Nest and try it out. Share the link with your friend. Slide it under your enemy’s door. Show your parents that gaming can be cerebral. Show your teacher the desolation of a dying town.”
The Marble Nest Demo Now Available to Everyone for Free [Steam]
