Several years ago, I was tasked with trawling forums to find interesting projects to bring to light. One of those projects was Ama’s Lullaby, an adventure RPG with turn-based combat that was in the very early stages of development. Not long after, developer Marc Chevallereau of Mercy Ground Creations decided to take the game in a different direction, but you can view the previous version here.
Ama’s Lullaby tells the story of a precocious teen named Ama who, along with her father, designed the AI for a system of robots charged with preparing an off-world colony for humans. There is an urgency to her mission, as the Earth is on a collision course with an asteroid. Players must utilize Ama’s hacking skills to glean information about the colony and its inhabitants in order to find out their secrets. To what end this information is used is up to the player, but be warned: every action has consequences, and stealth is key. The game’s design and story are heavily influenced by sci-fi classics like Blade Runner.
Ama’s main tool in this game is her laptop, which she uses to explore the network of systems containing every resource her AI has used in the colony’s creation. Time is of the essence, and Ama must get the information she needs before the system she’s hacking knows she’s there and begins to fight back by attempting to corrupt and destroy her computer. If her identity is discovered, her mission will fail, so players need to be fast and enter the prompted code correctly and quickly.
Dialogue heavily influences the game’s outcome, and selecting the correct (and most conflict-free) option can keep Ama from becoming overwhelmed and making regrettable decisions. While combat is infrequent, it will require real-time reflexes and good aim. All in all, Ama’s Lullaby has a plethora of gameplay styles packed into one very dynamic story.
Mercy Ground Creations is currently in their last week of crowdfunding via Kickstarter to bring their colorful vision to life, and have offered several tangible incentives for potential backers to get as much enjoyment out of their investment as possible.
Most games on Kickstarter offer lower-level tiers a digital copy of their game, and indeed, backers can receive a copy for €15 ($16 USD). However, Ama’s Lullaby is being offered as a copy on a collectible USB at the €30 tier ($32 USD), complete with manual, in a signed box. Backers at this level also have their names included in the game’s credits. For those who want a little more bling for their buck, a €90 ($96 USD) tier brings an exclusive, collector’s edition Cyberpunk USB copy of Ama’s Lullaby. The signed box set also includes a set of badge pins, 10 postcards, a card with a secret code to use in the game, the backer’s name credit in the game, a digital artbook, and the game’s soundtrack. Increase your pledge to €100 ($107 USD), and trade the USB for a limited-run physical copy of the artbook.
As I’m writing this, with 5 days to go, Ama’s Lullaby is just over 50% of the way to their goal. If you’d like to see this long-awaited passion project come to life, check out the Kickstarter for additional information, screenshots, and rewards. You can follow Mercy Ground Creations on Twitter and Facebook to see updates in real-time.
