You Only Live Once

>>"Why has there suddenly been a rash of games that provide >>metacommentary on the conventions of the videogame?"

Because many (excellent) blogs like this one talk about these conventions all the time?

When it comes to the point when a playable version of "Finnegan's Wake" exists though, I'm throwing in the game critiquing towel. ;)

In an interview with auntie pixelante, Jesse Venbrux said that he actually wanted to tack on this finality of death mechanic to Pazzon, but decided against it.

http://www.auntiepixelante.com/?p=253

"Jesse: no actually, that came after execution, but it was a continuation of that idea yeah execution was interesting (and got so much more response than i ever imagined) but not really much of a game the idea behind GAME OVER FOREVER, as it was called, was that every simple jump would feel exciting because you knew you wouldn’t be able to try again the game would also be fairly easy so you could only die by your own stupid mistake"

This came across in my playing of You Only Live Once. The level design was simple and not too challenging, but every action felt thrilling because I knew that one fuck-up would ruin the game. I sheepishly admit to dying on like the third screen, but I don't feel like fiddling around on my parent's computer to see the actual ending. I'll stick to Spelunky to satisfy my urge for nerve-wracking platformering, however.

Actually, it is possible to replay simply by refreshing and / or continuing enough times (I think I refreshed three times and continued about 10 times in total before it let me replay).

My first thought was "Free Will clone" (and that remains so), however the two are entertaining in different ways.

Thanks for covering my game! I just want to say that you CAN'T replay it by refreshing several times, that is, you're not supposed to be able to do it and this is the first time I hear somebody who managed to do it that way, without removing the cookies.

Also, You Only Live Once was completely finished bar the Japanese dub for the TV ending when I started working on Free Will.

I'll get right on that Finnegan's Wake game for you.

lol, the ending sequenze is much better than the gameplay. Anyway, I like it. Thanks for this 5 minutes amusement. ;)

I'm waiting for the meta-meta commentary games, with titles like "You only design once" where it's far easier to win the game by making lots of one message, simple meta games than it is to make a more complex, sublimely interactive message ones. It'd be one of those terribly clever games which comments on what's going on by making it the path of least resistance in the game.

Callan S., I think we can strive for games that bring up interesting thematics in more "sublime" ways without bashing those that are "one message" games... it's not like my effort means there's one less "sublime" game out there. it's a team effort, feel free to put down the next brick yourself. Also, a message is only as simple as you make it. I got the idea to make "Free Will" because I felt the determinism aspect of "You Only Live Once" wouldn't be too clear to many people. Obviously that was the right decision because people like to dumb down what they don't understand... or further dumb down things they think are dumb.

I made a Venbrux tribute, btw.

http://bit.ly/hyulh