What is this game about?
A Mortician’s Tale follows recent funeral direction graduate Charlie at her new job at a family-run funeral home called Rose and Daughters. In the game you’ll be tasked with interacting with Charlie’s desktop, reading her emails from coworkers, clients, bosses, etc, preparing the bodies of the deceased for burial or cremation, and attending their respective funerals and listening to their loved ones’ stories. As you progress through the game, you’ll see how Rose and Daughters funeral home changes overtime too.
Is it a horror game?
It’s definitely not meant to be scary! There are no jump scares or anything like that.
What inspired it?
We have a lot of friends who are / who have previously been funeral directors. In particular, Caitlin Doughty, who is a funeral director / author, and her group The Order of the Good Death were huge inspirations for the game. The game is very inspired by them, their stories from being funeral directors, and the amazing work they all do. The game also features a lot of stories that are directly inspired by our team’s personal experiences with death and loss too.
What does “death positive” mean?
It sounds like a weird term, but basically it means being open to talking about death and grief, and exploring your thoughts, feelings, and fears about mortality. Death positivity is not trying to erase feelings of grief or loss, but instead encourage us to be comfortable discussing them — with the idea that when we are comfortable talking about death, we can make more informed decisions regarding ours our loved ones’ deaths.
Is A Mortician’s Tale a “death positive” game?
We’d like to think so, yes.
Does the game feature suicide?
There is one scene in the game that deals with the subject of suicide, but you have the option to skip it ahead of time.
How long does it take to play?
About 1–1.5 hours or so.
What platforms is the game on?
Currently the game is available for Windows/Mac via Steam and DRM-free through itch.io.
Is there a soundtrack? Who made it?
Yes, there is! The soundtrack is composed by Halina Heron and is currently available through Steam or through Halina’s bandcamp.
Who made this?
We’re Laundry Bear Games, a small Toronto-based game studio who likes to collaborate with friends to make weird, colourful games. A Mortician’s Tale is our debut game.
Who made the promotional artwork?
Our good friend Jacquelin de Leon created all of the banner artwork and trading card artwork.
How can I find out about your next game?
We have nothing to announce yet but you can keep up to date with what we’re doing by following us on twitter: @laundry_bear
What technology did you use to make the game?
We built the game in Unity. We used FMOD for sfx/music integration, Blender for all the 3D art, and Adobe Illustrator for all the 2D art / UI / textures.