There is nothing quite like Astrologaster! Coming from developer Nyamyam, Astrologaster is a game based on the real-life Dr. Simon Forman, who couldn’t afford to go to traditional medical school. Dr. Forman decided that he could advise patients using the zodiac as a basis for his reasoning. All he had to do was satisfy the patients with his diagnoses and treatments to keep them coming back and referring other patients his way. All of this is presented as a moving storybook with the tale being set in Shakespearean London.
In Astrologaster, players become the infamous Dr. Forman and patients present their problems in a personalized song. Once the symptoms have been heard, options of different astrological signs representing a particular symptom or set of symptoms appear onscreen. Players simply choose the one that matches closely with the patient’s complaint. The diagnosis and advice are then given, and the patient is on their way. Each diagnosis is noted in an in-game journal, much like one that the real Dr. Forman would have used to document his successes and failures.
As Dr. Forman sees patients, they refer new people to the office and will also return with different complaints (and feedback on past performances). Sometimes they seek advice on other matters such as finances or relationships. The diagnosis can be quite humorous, such as one gentleman I encountered during a demo who had a “man cold”. This man then returned for advice on choosing a financial prospect to pursue. Another patient was convinced that her neighbor was a witch and had cast a curse on her. How did she know the neighbor was a witch?
She had cats.
The game design is unique, using a popup-book style of animation to progress through different scenarios. In the iOS version of the game, players swipe across from the bottom right corner of the screen to turn the page, and the setting for the scene pops up in a delightful way. The voice acting and background music also help set the scene for the 1500s. The verses that appear when each patient arrives are funny and change each time they visit the doctor and are sung in a style consistent with Shakespearean London. The paper doll style characters are also dressed in period clothing. It’s clear that a fair amount of research went into the visual and audio elements of the game, in addition to the inspiration for the game itself.
I encountered 3 or 4 patients in my time with the demo, some being repeat visitors, out of a total of 14 that will be included upon release. Follow-up visits from the patients included their view of the previous treatment, whether favorable or not. Patients in the game are also based on patients of the real Dr. Simon Forman.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed playing the demo of Astrologaster on iOS and I am looking forward to its release on both iOS and Steam. Astrologaster is available for preorder in the iTunes store and will release on May 2nd. The Steam version can be added to wishlists and releases on May 9th.
