Dear Esther
Encyclopedia
Dear Esther is an experimental "ghost story" PC game created as a research project at the University of Portsmouth
. It was first released on July 29, 2008 as a free Source engine
mod, and is currently being remade for a commercial release in early 2012.
letter fragments to a woman named Esther. The game does not directly specify who the narrator
is, but there are suggestions he is Esther's husband and that she is dead, killed in an automobile accident. These monologue
fragments are triggered as the player reaches certain locations in the game, and are randomly selected for each given location. This random selection of voice-over parts causes a lack of coherency, and forces the player to draw his or her own conclusions. As the game progresses, the readings become more vague and start to contradict one another. Later in the game, the readings begin to allude to the story of Paul on the road to Damascus, which is also the subject of some of the graffiti found painted on the cliff walls.
It has been debated whether Dear Esther truly constitutes a game. The level of interactivity is minimal, and there are no identifiable objectives. Some are, however, of the opinion that although the player is never directly told this, getting to a beacon which is referenced in many of the story fragments is the ultimate target.
island. A series of obscure visual symbols line the rocks of the island, most of which are chemical or electrical diagrams
. These refer to two possible causes of the accident that took Esther's life, a drunk driver and a brake system failure.
, UK. The game was designed by Pinchbeck and Josh Short, built by Short and Adam Griffiths, and programmed by Jonathan Brown. Music for Dear Esther was written by Jessica Curry, and voice-acting was performed by Nigel Carrington.
Dear Esther is currently being redeveloped by Robert Briscoehttp://www.littlelostpoly.co.uk/devblog, formerly of DICE. The remake will include a fully rebuilt environment and remastered audio.
animation exhibition, was given an honorary mention for Best Voice Acting at the 2008 Machinima Awards and made the Top 100 of Mod DB
's Mod of the Year 2008. Some reviewers have complained of poor level design, citing a lack of direction in the terrain, and multiple glitches related to movement. The voice acting, music and writing in the mod have been consistently praised.
Dear Esther won Best World/Story at the 2009 IndieCade Independent Game awards.http://www.indiecade.com
University of Portsmouth
The University of Portsmouth is a university in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The University was ranked 60th out of 122 in The Sunday Times University Guide...
. It was first released on July 29, 2008 as a free Source engine
Source engine
Source is a 3D game engine developed by Valve Corporation. It debuted in June 2004 with Counter-Strike: Source and shortly thereafter Half-Life 2, and has been in active development ever since...
mod, and is currently being remade for a commercial release in early 2012.
Plot
The player progresses through the plot of Dear Esther via a series of voiced-overVoice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
letter fragments to a woman named Esther. The game does not directly specify who the narrator
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
is, but there are suggestions he is Esther's husband and that she is dead, killed in an automobile accident. These monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
fragments are triggered as the player reaches certain locations in the game, and are randomly selected for each given location. This random selection of voice-over parts causes a lack of coherency, and forces the player to draw his or her own conclusions. As the game progresses, the readings become more vague and start to contradict one another. Later in the game, the readings begin to allude to the story of Paul on the road to Damascus, which is also the subject of some of the graffiti found painted on the cliff walls.
It has been debated whether Dear Esther truly constitutes a game. The level of interactivity is minimal, and there are no identifiable objectives. Some are, however, of the opinion that although the player is never directly told this, getting to a beacon which is referenced in many of the story fragments is the ultimate target.
Location
The game follows a somewhat linear path on an uninhabited HebrideanHebrides
The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
island. A series of obscure visual symbols line the rocks of the island, most of which are chemical or electrical diagrams
Circuit diagram
A circuit diagram is a simplified conventional graphical representation of an electrical circuit...
. These refer to two possible causes of the accident that took Esther's life, a drunk driver and a brake system failure.
Production
Dear Esther was written and produced by Dan Pinchbeck. Pinchbeck is a teacher of games and interactive media at the University of PortsmouthUniversity of Portsmouth
The University of Portsmouth is a university in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The University was ranked 60th out of 122 in The Sunday Times University Guide...
, UK. The game was designed by Pinchbeck and Josh Short, built by Short and Adam Griffiths, and programmed by Jonathan Brown. Music for Dear Esther was written by Jessica Curry, and voice-acting was performed by Nigel Carrington.
Dear Esther is currently being redeveloped by Robert Briscoehttp://www.littlelostpoly.co.uk/devblog, formerly of DICE. The remake will include a fully rebuilt environment and remastered audio.
Reception
Dear Esther was selected for exhibition at the 2008 Ars ElectronicaArs Electronica
Ars Electronica is an organization based in Linz, Austria, founded in 1979 around a festival for art, technology and society that was part of the International Bruckner Festival. Herbert W. Franke is one of its founders. It became its own festival and a yearly event in 1986. Its director until 1995...
animation exhibition, was given an honorary mention for Best Voice Acting at the 2008 Machinima Awards and made the Top 100 of Mod DB
Mod DB
Player's Choice*Best Indie Game: Tremulous*Best Released Mod: Point of Existence 2*Best Unreleased Mod: Black Mesa*By genre-2005:*-2004:*-2003:*-2002:*- External links :* *...
's Mod of the Year 2008. Some reviewers have complained of poor level design, citing a lack of direction in the terrain, and multiple glitches related to movement. The voice acting, music and writing in the mod have been consistently praised.
Dear Esther won Best World/Story at the 2009 IndieCade Independent Game awards.http://www.indiecade.com