At first glance the latest trailer for surreal point and click adventure game Dropsy: A Point and Click Hugventure might convince you that you’re slowly losing your mind, starring as it does a handless, broken-toothed clown who hugs everything he sees.
It’s a concept that should have dedicated coulrophobes running for the hills, but actually that’s not creator Jay Tholen’s intention at all – the game is about “loving the unloveable”, and despite Dropsy looking like the sort of creature that would corner you in a nightmare and devour your soul, he’s actually just a lovely chap looking for a place to fit in.
“After a deadly circus fire shatters his world and tarnishes his name,” reads the game’s plot blurb, “Dropsy the Clown finds himself on a journey of self-discovery through a story that harnesses powerful themes of love and unmerited kindness. With his father gravely ill and the world turning its back on the once celebrated clown, Dropsy will need to help those in need, hug total strangers, and unearth dark secrets on the winding road to redemption. Oh, and Dropsy can also talk to animals.”
Unlike most point and click adventures, Dropsy takes place in an open world, allowing you to wander in whichever direction you wish. That concept, along with those insane, creative visuals, makes me genuinely intrigued for this. It’s certainly the oddest title I can remember for a good long while.
After a successful Kickstarter campaign way back in 2013, Dropsy is about to make his way to Steam this September 10, published by Devolver Digital, purveyors of quirky indie titles.
