Brownie Cove Cancelled is another odd game that I came across recently. The concept is that you are stuck in an airport. It sounds overly simple, and in many ways it is but it is experience that is hard to forget. The game is created by Sand Gardeners, who also made Brownie Cove Express, Exhaust Lands and First Morning to name but a few.
I like sour sweets but sometimes there are some sour sweets that catch me off guard. They are so sour even I find them a bit much, sour bubble gum is one that springs to mind. Wandering around Brownie Cove's airport I found myself asking was this too much even for me?
Story
The story is simple, you find yourself in an airport waiting for you flight to board when just a minute before there is announcement. 'This is an announcement for all passengers on flight BC036 to Brownie Cove. We are sorry to inform you that your flight flight has been delayed. This is due to...unforeseen circumstances. Please check the boards for more up-to-date information about this flight.' That's the whole thing there is no more than to it, and I didn't feel the need to know more.
Visuals
The visual are a fuzzy pixilated mess designed to make you feel uncomfortable. There are a few maybe not nice, but odd things to look at including a small gift shop with mini toilets, a vending machine area which is designed in a way that makes them feel overwhelming.
The designs and animations are created by Colin Le Du and Marc Loths. I have never played a game that feel as uncomfortable to look at as Brownie Cove Cancelled, the whole game revolves around this idea.
Music
There is no music just ambient sounds that you would hear in an airport, echoing noises, trolley and luggage move around and the occasional intercom sound. That lack of music makes Brownie Cove Cancelled feel all the more uncomfortable and really reminds me of times I was caught in an airport.
These sounds are put together by Sam Machell who like his colleagues are great at making you feel uneasy.
Gameplay
The game leaves you open to explore the airport, walking blindly around as you wait for your delay flight - which will never arrive. The other people in the airport look unhappy and you are either seeing their thoughts in speech bubbles or they are muttering to themselves. While you explore you will come across floating fish moving around like it's not big them, a graveyard because of course airports aren't fun enough already. If you decide you don't want to walk around yourself you can let your character do it and see what they do.
Every game is an experience but very few come close to feeling like Brownie Cove Cancelled. If someone had never been to an airport and you were trying to describe it to them show them this game. They would probably never go to an airport.
Final Thoughts
So after mindlessly roaming the Brownie Cove airport for an hour how did I feel? Uncomfortable, anxiety ridden and couldn't wait to leave. Now as this is the purpose of the game I can't fault it, I can only imagine how much more intense it would be if I had tried it on a VR headset (not available, but who knows). This was strange one and hard to rate, this one gets a 3 out 5
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