:DarkwebSTREAMER

{{Infobox video game

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| title = darkwebSTREAMER

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| developer = We Have Always Lived In The Forest

| publisher = We Have Always Lived In The Forest

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| platforms = Windows

| released = TBA

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| designer = Chantal Ryan

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darkwebSTREAMER is an upcoming video game by South Australian game studio We Have Always Lived In The Forest, led by game designer and anthropologist Chantal Ryan.{{Cite news |date=6 February 2024 |title=Video Games Are Mourning the Old, Weird, Clunky Internet - The New York Times |work=New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/05/arts/video-games-internet.html |access-date=17 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240206052855/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/05/arts/video-games-internet.html |archive-date=6 February 2024 |last1=Argüello |first1=Diego }}{{Cite web |last=Chamberlain |first=Paige |title=Darkweb Streamer Preview - Can you earn new viewers and keep your sanity? {{!}} RPG Site |url=https://www.rpgsite.net/feature/14984-darkweb-streamer-preview-can-you-earn-new-viewers-and-keep-your-sanity |access-date=17 March 2024 |website=www.rpgsite.net |language=en}}{{Cite news |author1=Jody Macgregor |date=30 November 2023 |title=Horror game darkwebSTREAMER contains an infinite procedurally generated internet and that sure sounds horrifying to me |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/horror-game-darkwebstreamer-contains-an-infinite-procedurally-generated-internet-and-that-sure-sounds-horrifying-to-me/ |access-date=17 March 2024 |work=PC Gamer |language=en |archive-date=17 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240317104146/https://www.pcgamer.com/horror-game-darkwebstreamer-contains-an-infinite-procedurally-generated-internet-and-that-sure-sounds-horrifying-to-me/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Spindler |first=Emily |date=23 August 2023 |title=Local Spotlight: darkwebSTREAMER Is An Occult Streaming Sim Not For The Faint-Hearted |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2023/08/darkwebstreamer-local-spotlight/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231008003505/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2023/08/darkwebstreamer-local-spotlight/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 October 2023 |access-date=25 November 2023 |website=Kotaku Australia |language=en-AU}}{{Cite web |date=22 November 2022 |title=darkwebSTREAMER is a disturbing emergent narrative experience |url=https://www.gameshub.com/news/features/darkwebstreamer-is-a-disturbing-emergent-narrative-experience-34292/ |access-date=25 November 2023 |website=www.gameshub.com |language=en-AU}}{{Cite web |last=Spindler |first=Emily |date=28 July 2023 |title=Here Are Your PAX Aus Indie Showcase Winners For 2023 |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2023/07/here-are-your-pax-aus-indie-showcase-winners-for-2023/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230728040521/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2023/07/here-are-your-pax-aus-indie-showcase-winners-for-2023/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 July 2023 |access-date=25 November 2023 |website=Kotaku Australia |language=en-AU}}

Description

The game is a psychological horror RPG simulation game inspired by online streaming culture, para-social relationships and the grind of content creation, and simultaneously explores the aesthetics and culture of the 1990s and 2000s internet. It explores themes of how far a streamer might willing to go to gain wealth, power, or fame at the expense of one's own well-being and calls itself a 'narrative roguelite'{{Cite web |author1=Jasmine Gould-Wilson |date=24 April 2024 |title=darkwebSTREAMER is a "narrative roguelike" that interrogates the voyeuristic horror fan in us all |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/rpg/darkwebstreamer-is-a-narrative-roguelike-that-interrogates-the-voyeuristic-horror-fan-in-us-all/ |access-date=11 August 2024 |website=gamesradar |language=en}} due to almost every aspect of the game, including the story, characters and mechanics, being randomly generated every time you play whilst also featuring permadeath.{{Cite web |date=17 June 2024 |title='90s Dark Web Streaming Sim Is Way More Terrifying Than I Expected |url=https://kotaku.com/darkwebstreamer-tribeca-demo-narrative-roguelike-horror-1851544458 |access-date=11 August 2024 |website=Kotaku |language=en |archive-date=11 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240811181202/https://kotaku.com/darkwebstreamer-tribeca-demo-narrative-roguelike-horror-1851544458 |url-status=live }}

The game features the world's first procedurally generated internet. Emily Spindler of Kotaku described the game as 'a commentary on all the internet has been, is, and will be'.

The game has also been noted for its complex ARG, which kicked off via its trailer launched at PC Gamer's PC Gaming Show's "Most Wanted Showcase".{{Cite news |author1=Lauren Morton |date=30 November 2023 |title=The 25 Most Wanted games, as revealed in PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-25-most-wanted-games-as-revealed-today-in-pc-gaming-show-most-wanted/ |access-date=11 August 2024 |work=PC Gamer |language=en |archive-date=9 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209221326/https://www.pcgamer.com/the-25-most-wanted-games-as-revealed-today-in-pc-gaming-show-most-wanted/ |url-status=live }} The trailer notably was produced by Jack James Troisi, who led VFX on psychological horror film Talk To Me. A second darkwebSTREAMER trailer produced by Troisi was released at IGN Fan Fest in March 2024.{{Cite web |last=Bankhurst |first=Adam |date=9 February 2024 |title=IGN Fan Fest 2024: How to Watch and What to Expect From the Event |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/ign-fan-fest-2024-how-to-watch-and-what-to-expect-from-the-event |access-date=11 August 2024 |website=IGN |language=en |archive-date=11 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240811181202/https://www.ign.com/articles/ign-fan-fest-2024-how-to-watch-and-what-to-expect-from-the-event |url-status=live }}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD5XZkXe5rs |title=darkwebSTREAMER - Official Trailer {{!}} IGN Fan Fest 2024 |date=20 February 2024 |last=IGN |access-date=11 August 2024 |via=YouTube}} darkwebSTREAMER has also been remarked on for its unusual website,{{Cite web |title=darkwebSTREAMER // |url=https://www.darkwebstreamer.com/ |access-date=11 August 2024 |website=www.darkwebstreamer.com}} which evokes the style of the 90s internet.

Reception

The game has featured widely across major games and news media, including in the New York Times and ABC News,{{Cite news |date=16 October 2023 |title=More diversity needed in booming gaming industry, Adelaide designer says |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-17/chantal-ryan-to-speak-at-south-by-southwest/102983706 |access-date=11 August 2024 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU |archive-date=25 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231125225343/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-17/chantal-ryan-to-speak-at-south-by-southwest/102983706 |url-status=live }} and was notably showcased at the 2024 Tribeca Festival{{Cite web |date=25 April 2024 |title=Tribeca Festival's 2024 Lineup Features Some Really Exciting Games |url=https://kotaku.com/tribeca-festival-2024-indie-games-lineup-1851435906 |access-date=11 August 2024 |website=Kotaku |language=en |archive-date=11 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240811181202/https://kotaku.com/tribeca-festival-2024-indie-games-lineup-1851435906 |url-status=live }} where it was nominated for the Tribeca Games Award for "demonstrating artistic excellence in storytelling".{{Cite web |title=TRIBECA FESTIVAL UNVEILS 2023 GAMES PROGRAM |url=https://tribecafilm.com/press-center/festival/press-releases/tribeca-festival-unveils-2023-games-program |access-date=11 August 2024 |website=Tribeca}} It has been selected as one of the best games of Gamescom,{{Cite web |last=Valentine |first=Rebekah |date=6 September 2022 |title=The Best Little Games I Played at Gamescom 2022 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/the-best-little-games-i-played-at-gamescom-2022 |access-date=11 August 2024 |website=IGN |language=en |archive-date=11 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240811181203/https://www.ign.com/articles/the-best-little-games-i-played-at-gamescom-2022 |url-status=live }} GDC,{{Cite web |date=22 March 2024 |title=The best games we played at GDC 2024 |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/gdc-2024-best-games/ |access-date=11 August 2024 |website=Digital Trends |language=en |archive-date=11 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240811181202/https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/gdc-2024-best-games/ |url-status=live }} Day Of The Devs{{Cite web |title=The Best Games We Played at Day of the Devs |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/games/day-of-the-devs/the-best-games-we-played-at-day-of-the-devs |access-date=11 August 2024 |website=Paste Magazine |language=en-US |archive-date=11 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240811181202/https://www.pastemagazine.com/games/day-of-the-devs/the-best-games-we-played-at-day-of-the-devs |url-status=live }} and PAX Australia,{{Cite web |last=WellPlayed |date=20 October 2022 |title=The Best Games We Played At PAX Aus 2022 |url=https://www.well-played.com.au/the-best-games-we-played-at-pax-aus-2022/ |access-date=11 August 2024 |website=WellPlayed |language=en-AU}} and has received multiple award nominations, including at SXSW Sydney (2023) and PAX Australia (2023), where it won the PAX Indie Showcase award.

References

Category:Upcoming video games

Category:Video games developed in Australia

Category:Windows games