P.T., the cancelled Guillermo del Toro and Hideo Kojima collaboration that sees consoles change hands for over double their retail price, has inspired countless homages, though surely none more adorable than the lighthearted and free QT.
When Silent Hills was cancelled, P.T. was also completely withdrawn, just nine months after its emergence.
That helped cement its essential status, and today used PlayStation 4 consoles with P.T. installed can sell for between US$400 (RM1,657) and US$600 (RM2,486) via eBay, compared to brand new PS4s priced at US$299 (RM1,239).
P.T. homages and remakes spread through experimental game hubs like Itch.io and Gamejolt, the most blatantly identical of the crop met with takedowns from original publisher Konami.
Yet QT, the latest homage to the enduring classic, departs from established form in a delightful manner.
It's a free download for Windows PC from happysnakegames.itch.io/qt, and instead of scares, it slides into happier territory; after a spooky start, players find not a ghostly presence but a friendly yellow creature greeting them with a wave.
From there, the P.T. looping corridor system populates with new pals as players discover playful secrets, interact with objects, and fill the property with a fizzing enthusiasm: this is a game that replaces fear with joy and comfort.
The inverted experience was partly inspired by "everyone on the Internet thinking I was making cute games that turned out to be horror games," writes anonymous developer Happy Snake, "and partly by my fascination with cool 3D environments (like in first person horror games) but without wanting to spook anyone too much."
It's one of three games contained inside QT: Compendium Of Cuteness, whose 25-day crowdfunding campaign runs until July 16 on Kickstarter.
Also included will be Museum, an "ultra fun and cute" ramble around a sprawl of exhibition spaces, and the collection's third and perhaps most ambitious game, Kouen, which takes place in an open world park and is about being a friendly and inquisitive park ranger.
Happy Snake had already garnered a good deal of appreciation through free games like envelope-flinging computer download Morning Post and its US$1.99 (RM8.25) follow-up Library.
They are looking for £3,200 (RM16,921) to complete QT: Compendium Of Cuteness by January 2020.
Initial stretch goals, activated upon reaching £5,000 (RM26,438) and £8,300 (RM43,887) , make for more songs, levels, and characters, plus two secret micro-games; milestones at US$10,000 (RM41,440), £20,000 (RM105,758) and £30,000 (RM158,646) fund additional complete games after the QT collection is released. – AFP Relaxnews
