Some Games Are More Equal Than Others
George Orwell’s seminal political allegory Animal Farm is being made into a video game. The project is being worked on by developers from Bossa Studios and Nerial and has the blessing of Orwell’s estate. It’ll launch for PC and mobiles this autumn.
What kind of game will Animal Farm be?
According to the devs, Animal Farm will be “an adventure game that immerses players in Orwell’s story”. You will need to choose which animals’ wishes you pay attention to and which ones you ignore. The choices you make will determine the fate of the farm, so you’ll have to choose wisely. As well as narrative and dialogue choices, you’ll also need to keep an eye on your resources and defend your farm from interlopers. The devs say Animal Farm will put you “at the center of an allegorical revolution” and allow you to experience how power corrupts firsthand.
Developers working on the project include Bossa Studios founder Imre Jele and Just Flight founder Andy Payne. Also helping out with development is Nerial, the studio responsible for the BAFTA-nominated Reigns franchise. They’ll be bringing their narrative experience to bear, so you can expect an experience not entirely dissimilar from the political choice-based gameplay of that series.
Who else is working on Animal Farm?
In addition to these luminaries, Animal Farm will feature the voice talents of Assassin’s Creed Origins‘ Abubakar Salim, who voiced Bayek in that game and will be narrating this one. The game also has the full blessing of George Orwell’s estate. Literary executor Bill Hamilton says Animal Farm will “shine a new light on Orwell’s perennial classic” and that the staff are “passionate and creative”. Looks like fans of Orwell’s work will need to keep an eye on this one.
You can look forward to Animal Farm launching for PC via Steam as well as mobile devices this autumn. In the meantime, you can keep up with the game via its official website.
