SaintandSimon, an indie developer from Sweden, has announced A Song for Viggo. I don't normally promote Kickstarter campaigns, but A Song for Viggo has one of the most heart-wrenching premises I've ever heard of in an indie game.
The title presents itself as an adventure game about "dealing with life after a terrible tragedy" starring two parents, Steve and Karen, who have to wrestle with the loss of their son Viggo.
Steve and Karen, on their way home from their vacation, with their children Viggo and Sarah. On unsupervised second in the parking lot. That's all it took. They didn't see Viggo behind their car. You play as Steve, and as the game begins it's up to you to book your son's funeral. You are going to have to do it yourself, because your wife, Karen, sinks into a deep depression following the passing of Viggo. She's grieving in her own kind of way – by learning how to play the piano.
The game presents five chapters as stages of depression, including grief and suicidal thoughts. Players will have to take care of their daughter and do the dishes while dealing with the emotional fallout, but more poignantly the game's soundtrack is made of Karen's earliest piano songs. The developers made a few available on Soundcloud, which you can hear below:
A Song for Viggo's visuals are entirely designed in paper. Each of the game's objects, environments, and characters is made by hand with paper, folded and photographed for players to interact with. I'd love to see more lovingly-crafted, emotionally challenging games like A Song for Viggo in today's marketplace but independent developers need support from time to time. For more information and to donate to the project, visit its Kickstarter page. You can secure your copy of the game for just $10.
