Hotel

"I was more sober after I smoked weed than after I played Hotel." - anonymous player

Hotel isn't so much a game as it is an interactive narrative done by Dutch digital artist Han Hoogerbrugge.


Synopsis
The story revolves around Dr. Doglin, who does research on "freak accidents" and requires volunteers for vigorous physical experiments. In exchange for payment, volunteers agree to undergo tests that Dr. Doglin performs on them. There is even a mock website called Preconstruction that Hoogerbrugge created asking for physical trauma volunteers to make the story seem more authentic.

Hotel comprises of 5 parts, or chapters, and each chapter contains 2 episodes, and there are 5 scenes in each episode (confused yet?). Basically, each chapter has 10 scenes in total, and since there are 5 chapters, there's a total of 50 scenes for you to work through. It may sound like a lot, but it really isn't.



Gameplay
The gameplay is undeniably simple. The player clicks on objects located throughout the scene to learn more about them. Important objects that can be interacted with have a tiny oscillating orb above them.

Progress through the scenes of an episode is controlled by a timer in the upper left hand corner (refer to photo above) that counts down for each. When the timer reaches zero, the player is automatically taken to the scene. However, if the player wishes to spend more time in the scene, they simply have to hit the Stop button, which freezes the timer, and then press Jump when they are ready to head on to the next room.

Why I like this game

1. I think the main drawing point of Hotel to me is the fact that it depends solely on a solid storyline, and not on gameplay. There is no win or lose in this game, as the main point of it is just simply the experience.

2. It is extremely twisted and trippy. If Salvadore Dali made an animation, I wouldn't be surprised if it wound up looking something like this. I'm not kidding when I say that Hotel has a deep impact on people who are willing to immerse themselves in the storyline.

3. It has a naked clown in it. Seriously. It doesn't get any better than this.

Why I DON'T like this game

1. The timer goes off too soon. I like to take my time to explore each scene, which results in me having to stop the timer every time I change scenes. While it's not a major flaw, it certainly is irritating.

2. What you do has absolutely no impact on the outcome. This is a strictly linear narrative, and there's no way to deviate the storyline from the intended course of action. This, to me, inhibits replayability because the viewer already knows what the ending is going to be like.




Summary

Hotel is a visual experience not to be missed. I would go as far as to call it one of the most impactful interactive narrative released. Seriously, what are you waiting for? Click here.