You wake up amnesiac, trapped inside a machine attached to probes, monitors and sensors. A civil servant named Tan tells you that you are freshly deceased. However, something called the Book of Red Shadows is keeping you from being brain dead for the equivalent of 10 days. You are now part of the government’s secret Red Shadow Project, whose aim—as far as you have been told—is to change the fate of certain people destined to die tragic or horrific deaths.
Using only a computer interface, you need to decide which random strangers will live or die, and then perform tasks to be able to literally make that decision happen. Survive long enough within the system and you will be given the same chance to rejoin the land of the living. However, with a rogue hacker threatening to destroy the system and an unknown digital presence—some form of consciousness trapped within Project Red Shadow’s massive AI—stalking you… you are going to have to get real creative in order to be able to make it out of there alive.
The clock is ticking. Can you manage to survive for ten days, uncover who you really are and write yourself back to life? Or will you be erased from existence in the most gruesome way imaginable?
How to Play:
Play This Story: The Book of Red Shadows is a play-by-email style interactive gaming experience happening 30 Oct – 10 Nov 2020 in conjunction with the Singapore Writers Festival 2020.
It is a text-based game which will require you to have a working email address, connection to the internet and an interest in reading and writing in English to play. Some knowledge of the various Singapore languages and slangs will also come in handy.
All play will be done via email only. On the day game begins, you will receive an introductory email with a scenario, a few hints, a few options and be given 24 hours to reply. What you do next is entirely up to you.
Using nothing but the power of words, you will be able to engage in this fictional world in whichever ways you can think of. This could be a 10-day game for you, or not, depending on how ingeniously you choose to respond to the emails sent to you… and whether or not you survive your choices.
Do you dare go into Victor Fernando R. Ocampo’s future Singapore and take on the challenge of escaping from the government’s secret Red Shadow Project?
(Warning: Play This Story: The Book of Red Shadows is recommended for mature players only and not recommended for children. Some content in this game may be disturbing. Persons sensitive to the topics of death, suicide, suicide ideation and murder should not play this game.)
If YES:
Unfortunately, registration for this game has ended. If you would like to be notified when we have a rerun or other Play This Story games, drop your email in the box below.
If NO:
Then you’ll never get to know what really goes on in the shadows…
Need more information? Read our FAQ below.
Media Mentions:
“It was the most mesmerising experience I ever had. Every scenario presented was penned in detail as the story launched into more complications than you would ever expect. The choices were open-ended, giving you more control over the path you would like to take. I felt a sense of loss when the 10 days ended, wishing that it would have been longer.”
IREVIEWUREAD
“It’s pretty absorbing. The text sent each day is also, well, uniquely Singaporean and not without a dash of parody. If you like classic CYOA adventures, I strongly encourage you to give this dark saga a try.”
THE SCRIBBLING GEEK
“A chance to enter the strange universe of speculative fiction author Victor Fernando R. Ocampo in Play This Story: The Book Of Red Shadows.”
THE STRAITS TIMES
“Specifically for SWF2020, voices in the SingLit community produced 20 innovative commissions in digital literary works. Begin with Play This Story: The Book of Red Shadows.”
ESQUIRE
“This year’s offerings include unusual formats such as Play This Story: The Book of Red Shadows.”
BAKCHORMEEBOY
“Fun activities include a psychological horror game that takes place entirely over email (Play This Story: The Book of Red Shadows).”
SG MAGAZINE
“Thrill-seekers will enjoy Play This Story: The Book of Red Shadows, an interactive, psychological horror game based on a fictional universe by the speculative fiction author Victor Fernando R. Ocampo.”
THE A LIST
“Crafted by Singapore-based author Victor Fernando R. Ocampo, the intrigue begins with you freshly deceased – yet kept ‘alive’ by mysterious government technology.”
CITY NOMADS
“The speculative fiction of Victor Fernando R Ocampo is recast as a choose-your-own-adventure experience taking place entirely over email.”
THE BUSINESS TIMES
“Play This Story: The Book of Red Shadows (is an) offline interactive (game) that would be sure to keep one on their toes.”
THE PEAK
“Innovative digital events include Play this Story: The Book of Red Shadows, an interactive psychological horror game based on the speculative fiction of Victor Fernando R Ocampo that unfolds over email.”
SILVERKRIS
“SWF also features voices from the community in the form of 20 innovative commissions in digital literary formats. This includes interactive psychological horror game Play This Story: The Book Of Red Shadows, which takes place over email.”
THE STAR
“This year’s innovative offerings include unexpected offline formats as seen in Play This Story: The Book of Red Shadows.”
NAC
About the Author:
Victor Fernando R. Ocampo is a writer of Speculative and Experimental Fiction. He is the author of the International Rubery Book Award shortlisted The Infinite Library and Other Stories (Math Paper Press, 2017) and Here Be Dragons (Canvas Press, 2015), which won the Romeo Forbes Children’s Story Award in 2012. More about him: www.vrocampo.com
Credits:
The Book of Red Shadows Author: Victor Fernando R. Ocampo
Play This Story Producer: Sara Y
Game Design: Victor Fernando R. Ocampo, Sara Y
Gamemasters: Wayne Ree, Eugene Lim, Nicholas Chan
Game Manager: Weiqi Chuah
Marketing & Promotions: Adela Lee
FAQ:
What exactly is a Play-by-Email game?
Play-by-Email games began with turn-based “Play-by-Mail” (PBM) postal games in the 1960s. Popular PBM games included Chess, Diplomacy, Go and versions of Dungeons and Dragons. With the rise of the Internet, postal gaming has largely been replaced by e-mail and messaging apps. Play-by-Email (PBEM) games differ from popular online multiplayer games in that, for most computerised multiplayer games, the players have to be online at the same time. With a Play-by-Email game, the players can play whenever they choose, since responses need not be immediate. Technically speaking Play This Story: The Book of Red Shadows is an interactive narrative, where the interactive elements are done though PBEM.
How does Play This Story: The Book of Red Shadows work as a PBEM game?
Generally, you mail in responses to the emails you receive once a day for every day that you remain in the game. You will then receive email replies within 24 hours that will enable you to advance in the narrative or to end your story. Play This Story: The Book of Red Shadows responds to your responses so the more effort you put into crafting those, the more interactivity you will get back.
What is the frequency of turns in Play This Story: The Book of Red Shadows?
Official turns are due every 24 hours for up to 10 days, depending on how long you can survive in the game. Players are expected to post turns regularly at least once per day. If you have nothing to say or do for your “official turn”, post anyway, stating that there is nothing new for your character and the game will determine what happens next. If you don’t reply, the game will also proceed, taking into consideration your lack of reply.
How often do I have to check my e-mail?
To participate in the game, you are only required to reply one e-mail per day.
I want to play more of such games. What do I do?
We have similar games coming up. Follow us to find out when they happen.