Black Closet

Black Closet is a mystery visual novel, strategy RPG and life simulation game developed and published by Hanako Games and released on September 16, 2015 for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux on the digital distribution service Steam.

Black Closet
Developer(s)Hanako Games
Publisher(s)Hanako Games
EngineRen'py
Platform(s)Linux 
ReleaseSeptember 16, 2015
Genre(s)Visual novel, Strategy RPG, Life simulation
Mode(s)Single-player 

The game was received positively by critics, and was a finalist for the Excellence in Narrative award at the 2016 IGF.

Gameplay

Black Closet combines traits of a visual novel and a strategy RPG. Players play the role of Elsa, a student in a prestigious school for girls named St. Claudine's.[1] She must solve procedurally-generated mysteries in order to increase her leadership abilities, using a group of fellow student assistants.[1] However, one of these students is a traitor, and Elsa must find their identity.[1]

Plot

The main character, Elsa, is sent to an elite all-girls school, where she becomes the student council president.[2] Her job is to track down students who are committing misdemeanors and scandals to maintain the school's integrity.[2]

The game also has yuri elements to its story, letting players romance five potential women.[3]

Development

The game was developed by Hanako Games founder Georgina Bensley, who was a full-time independent game developer for 10 years prior to the game's release.[4] It was created in a customized fork of the Ren'Py engine.[4] The game was initially prototyped on paper to determine the gameplay concept's feasibility.[4]

The game took roughly three years to develop.[4] The concept for the game was inspired by the espionage work in Floor 13 as well as the developer's own experience in an Episcopalian private school, with some of the situations in the game being inspired by real-life events she had seen.[4]

The game's RPG aspects were also inspired by western RPG series such as Baldur's Gate and Dragon Age, giving freedom to shape the character's personality as well as the story.[4]

Reception

Black Closet was well received by critics.

Katherine Cross of Rock, Paper, Shotgun said the game "punctures misogynist stereotypes around teen dramas" and that the characters "who at first blush appear to be tropes" later become more interesting.[5] Graham Smith of the same publication said that the game was a "smart, well-written, choice-and-consequences game that deserves more attention".[6]

Leigh Alexander, writing for Boing Boing, said that she "kinda [dug]" the game and called the concept "engaging" and "refreshing".[2]

John Bridgman of Indiegames.com called the concept of the game "interesting", despite saying that it "lacks polish".[7]

The game became an IGF finalist for Excellence in Narrative in 2016.[8]

References
  1. "Get Schooled In Mystery With Black Closet | Indie Game Magazine". indiegamemag.com. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
  2. "Being student council president at an elite girls school isn't easy". Boing Boing. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
  3. "Solve Mysteries in the Yuri Strategy RPG 'Black Closet' | Hardcore Gamer". Retrieved 2017-07-16.
  4. Wawro, Alex. "Road to the IGF: Hanako Games' Black Closet". Retrieved 2017-07-16.
  5. Cross, Katherine (2015-09-04). "Into The Black Closet". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
  6. Smith, Graham (2016-01-05). "Have You Played… Black Closet?". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
  7. "IndieGames.com Secrets Within Black Closet". indiegames.com. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
  8. "2016 IGF Interviews: Black Closet - NYU | Game Center". NYU | Game Center. 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
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