The Shivah
Encyclopedia
The Shivah is a computer game
designed and developed by Dave Gilbert
with the assistance of others (such as voice actors and artists). The game was originally developed for the Monthly Adventure Game Studio
5th anniversary competition in June 2006, which it won. The author, now publishing as Wadjet Eye Games, then improved the game: making it longer, with voice acting, DVD-style commentary and extra puzzles. In September 2006 the game was on sale via the Internet
from the Wadjet Eye Games site or from Manifesto Games
. The shift from free to pay-to-play met criticism from some members of the AGS community but settled down soon after.
, in The Shivah players assume the role of Rabbi
Russell Stone, who is visited by the police and informed that a murdered ex-member of his dilapidated New York
synagogue
has bequeathed him a large sum of money. Puzzled that a man with whom he had fallen out many years before had given him money, Rabbi Stone sets out to clear his name and investigate the murder. This aspect of the game follows the "cleric as private investigator" theme of the Father Dowling mysteries.
Rabbi Stone begins by paying a Shivah visit to the widow of the murdered man and slowly uncovers a conspiracy and discovers who was behind the now multiple murders. The game also features a scene where two Rabbis fight with words, similar to the insult swordfighting of The Secret of Monkey Island
. The Shivah's unique use of a Rabbi as protagonist and exploration of Jewish themes has garnered the game press and reviews.
Gilbert has stated that he is planning to release at least two sequels to The Shivah, but they are going to be made after the Blackwell series is completed.
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
designed and developed by Dave Gilbert
Dave Gilbert (game designer)
Dave Gilbert is a designer of independent adventure games using Adventure Game Studio. He started out with home-made, freeware games, but went professional in 2006, founding Wadjet Eye Games and releasing The Shivah and The Blackwell Legacy commercially.-Game design career:Gilbert's first adventure...
with the assistance of others (such as voice actors and artists). The game was originally developed for the Monthly Adventure Game Studio
Adventure Game Studio
Adventure Game Studio is a free software development tool that is primarily used to create graphical adventure games. It is aimed at intermediate-level game designers, and combines an Integrated development environment for setting up most aspects of the game with a scripting language to process...
5th anniversary competition in June 2006, which it won. The author, now publishing as Wadjet Eye Games, then improved the game: making it longer, with voice acting, DVD-style commentary and extra puzzles. In September 2006 the game was on sale via the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
from the Wadjet Eye Games site or from Manifesto Games
Manifesto Games
Manifesto Games was an ecommerce retailer of downloadable computer games, specializing in independently developed games aimed at hardcore gamers.It was founded in October 2005 by Greg Costikyan and Dr. Johnny L...
. The shift from free to pay-to-play met criticism from some members of the AGS community but settled down soon after.
Gameplay
A point-and-click adventure gameAdventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
, in The Shivah players assume the role of Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Russell Stone, who is visited by the police and informed that a murdered ex-member of his dilapidated New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
has bequeathed him a large sum of money. Puzzled that a man with whom he had fallen out many years before had given him money, Rabbi Stone sets out to clear his name and investigate the murder. This aspect of the game follows the "cleric as private investigator" theme of the Father Dowling mysteries.
Rabbi Stone begins by paying a Shivah visit to the widow of the murdered man and slowly uncovers a conspiracy and discovers who was behind the now multiple murders. The game also features a scene where two Rabbis fight with words, similar to the insult swordfighting of The Secret of Monkey Island
The Secret of Monkey Island
The Secret of Monkey Island is a graphic adventure game developed by Lucasfilm Games and published by the same company after its name was changed to LucasArts. The game spawned a number of sequels, collectively known as the Monkey Island series...
. The Shivah's unique use of a Rabbi as protagonist and exploration of Jewish themes has garnered the game press and reviews.
Awards
In the AGS Awards for games from 2006, The Shivah won Best Dialogue writing and Dave won the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Shivah came 2nd in Game Tunnel's Sound award for 2006 and 3rd in their Adventure/Quest Game of the Year awards.Future
A number of characters and names from the game have appeared in The Blackwell Legacy and its sequel.Gilbert has stated that he is planning to release at least two sequels to The Shivah, but they are going to be made after the Blackwell series is completed.
External links
- Official website of The Shivah at Wadjet Eye Games
- Interview with Dave Gilbert, the author, about The Shivah and other games
- Gamasutra article on The Shivah being a big hit at a New York IGDA meeting
- Hebrew Article in Maariv On-Line, for translation, see here
- Wired magazine article on The Shivah
- Jerusalem Post article on The Shivah