Have you ever wondered what the day-to-day life of a Mortician is like? Preparing bodies, attending funerals, and managing a business that generally leaves the public unsettled at the best of times? Talk a walk through A Mortician’s Tale, by Laundry Bear Games, released on October 18th, 2017.

A Mortician’s Tale is ok, at the end of the day. Nothing to write home about, and perhaps only an hour and a half playthrough. It falls into an interesting, and hotly debated, vein of games; those that toe the line between games and graphic novels. How much gameplay and choice is needed in a game to differentiate it from a book, or a story? Or an elaborate movie, that requires the occasional button press? Or a visual novel?

I’m of the opinion that they can be both a visual novel and a game, as a whole, as long as it tells its story well, and is enjoyable. And the challenge with A Mortician’s Tale is that it is… fine. 

In A Mortician’s Tale, you play as Charlie, a recent hire at the Rose & Daughter’s Funeral Home, and the new funeral director. A quiet, goth looking woman, comfortable in her position in the ‘death industry’, whose day to day job is preparing bodies for funeral services. Cremation, open, or closed casket. You only ever get a glimpse of Charlie through others, as she never talks or responds through the entire course of the game, leaving any personification to be done by her coworker’s emails, the rambling of a distant friend, and a weekly newsletter talking about issues in the funerary business. While the business and preparations are first treated with respect and care, putting the family first, R&D is eventually bought out by a much larger organization, who’s only focus is on the upsell. No outside food, no at home services, and you *must* be joking if you think for a moment that we care about the individuals here. Charlie eventually escapes, but… that’s the entire game. We don’t even get the pleasure of civil disobedience, of choice, or even the opportunity to watch the escape itself. 

Which leads into my troubles with the gameplay loop of the game. Nothing is wrong, but nothing is outstanding either. Do take caution, for while the game isn’t graphic in terms of blood and gore, you are still prepping bodies, and all the unfun things that go with it, like draining the body of fluids, and filling it with formaldehyde. Definitely squicked me out for a while, and I always tried to get through the preps as fast as possible. But it’s always the same, and you are unable to fail or forget. Step by step instructions haunt every interaction on the tables, and you cannot do things in the wrong order; the game simply won’t allow it. That, combined with no time limit and no pressure of failure, makes me question: why have the gameplay in the first place? Perhaps it’s informative and interesting the first couple times, seeing what goes into funerary prep, but without being able to change, to make choices, it becomes a chore, a barrier between one patch of storytelling and the next. 

So if you’re looking for a short diversion into the death industry, or just something to chew over, feel free to check it out. An interesting idea and concept, but executed with mixed results. Maybe pick it up as part of a bundle, or when it’s on sale, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for A Mortician’s Tale. The art is nice. And the game is fine. But that’s all.

A Mortician’s Tale is available on Steam, itch.io, the Humble Store, and on the Apple Store. To read more about the developer and the game itself, consider visiting their website here.