On Google+, I started a new series of posts called #StrangeFreeGames. Each post will introduce a game that is free, and a bit strange. I hope by introducing these surreal games, the theme will be better explored by game developers in the future.
With that said, the first game is The Cat and the Coup, a short, physics-based puzzle game that doubles as a documentary on Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh’s tragic end of power in Iran. It’s available for the PC via Steam.
The story introduces the events leading to the fall of the first democratically elected Iran Prime Minister in reverse chronological order. As his cat, you need to lead the ghost of Mohammed Mossadegh to where the whole problem started. The feline character is capable of rather limited activities, including knocking things over and rocking the rickety rooms. Nonetheless, with a little thinking and a bit of creativity, it’s not hard to go through this relatively short game.
Of course, the main pull of this game is its art style, a strange and messy scrapbook of events unfolding in a creepy way. While it does mix a few Persian artworks, most of it is political (and deliberately shoddy) Photoshop work…and it delivers. It’s a compelling part of the game on its own, and the whole thing comes together very nicely at the very end.
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