Begscape

Computer games have widened their range of subjects. In the last few years, we've seen games dealing with serious topics such as LGBT issues, mental illness, or the morality of war. This has polarised critics. Supporters see this as the medium growing up: treating problematic or unpleasant topics, the way novels have done for centuries and films have done for decades. Detractors (the ones who are not just trolls) have pointed to a dilemma: is it possible to make an enjoyable game about an unenjoyable topic? If yes, isn't that distasteful: trivialising a real problem into a few hours' entertainment? If no - who would play an unenjoyable game?

Begscape by Porpentine is a game about a social issue, the plight of homeless beggars. It is also, in my opinion, enjoyable enough that I have come back to play it a dozen times.

It is extremely minimalist; it was only one of Porpentine's submissions for the 2014 IFComp, the other being the full-length, plot-heavy With Those We Love Alive. However, it never feels too bare. The game makes excellent use of randomisation to generate short but evocative descriptions of the villages, cities and citadels where you ply your trade, as well as brief glimpses of your travels in between. Despite the grimness of the subject, there is a good deal of beauty. You are in an insecure position and may be starving, but you're not blind to the port town of yellow wood and black seashells, or the distant sounds of singing as you approach your next goal. This feels true to life.

The gameplay itself is equally simple, but allows for a small amount of strategy. Each settlement has a certain cost of living. If you are not able to make enough money by nightfall, you will be forced to sleep in the street. If this occurs three nights in a row, you will die; a shorter period, and you will be reduced to a weakened state, from which you will slowly recuperate if you get food and board. Every morning, you have the choice to stay or move on (or will be expelled by the townspeople). There is no way of knowing whether the next town will have cheaper or more expensive costs of living. You have to take your chances, and there is even a slight random risk of an event during your travel impacting your health. Figuring out when leaving is worth the risk is the strategy that will keep you alive.

Keep you alive for longer, that is. It's hardly even a spoiler: the game is hopeless. I have come back to it evening after evening trying to beat my record in staying alive, but the ultimate outcome is never in doubt. And then you look at the final screen, and realise what it means that you're proud of surviving for 27 days.

So, as a game, Begscape works: it has good (if extremely spare) writing, and an addictive challenge. Does it work as social commentary? Hard for me to say: I already know that people begging in the street are human, I've never said "They just want money to buy drugs." Nor have I given any substantial amount - for reasons of personal economy, I would like to say, but also because what can I do? I already know that begging is hell, so I didn't need a game to tell me. Perhaps it has shown me what it's like in more detail. I would like to help, but like with any social issue, inertia and my own poverty will continue to hinder me. I'm lazy. I'm not equipped to help anyone in this situation.

Begscape sets out to do a certain thing, and does it flawlessly. If I give it four stars rather than five, it's because the minimalism does eventually become rather limiting. But it keeps me coming back and is well worth a playthrough, even just to see on which side it polarises you.

A final note: I read one IFComp review that mentioned that the lack of personal information served to dehumanise the "beggar". I'd like to offer a contrasting view: in this game, you simply play the classical faceless, genderless, ageless IF protagonist. We don't need to be told about the protagonist's reaction to being ignored or spat on, because they are us.

This game is like a Verdi opera stuck in Act III. Verdi once wrote that he wanted to show the impossibility of human happiness, and this game is similar.

You generally only have two options at any time, and more often, just one: beg. You beg, and beg, and beg, and then leave or beg more. You try to get enough money for food and shelter, but you don't always succeed.

The game uses the same scenes over and over again; I think there are only two or three real screens, and each is like a mad-lib filled with different information every time.

Some people found this powerful, and I've really enjoyed the effect of depressing repetition with other Twine games, but I didn't really enjoy this game. With Those We Love Alive was much better, one of my favorite games of all time, and it was released in the same competition.

The randomised descriptions of the cities and creatures are imaginative, but the gameplay is very simple -- beg, move on, starve.

Perhaps the author’s trying to make a larger point about the problems of homelessness? The gameplay is so repetitive I wonder if the author meant to simulate the mind-numbing effects of begging and poverty.

It’s a thought-provoking ten-minute diversion. It’s free of bugs and looks elegant, and has some clever descriptions.

Begscape is a Twine game about traveling from city to city and begging for coins to afford food and shelter. Begging is nearly the only action in the gameplay.

It is morning. Shelter costs 5 coins. You have 2 coins.

Beg

You beg for coins with the hope that you have enough at the end of the day. Otherwise, you sleep on the streets which worsens your health. You can either keep begging in the city or move on to the next one. Unless the locals kick you out first. The cost of food and shelter depends on the city. The game ends when you die.

While some players might find it too repetitive, it’s actually quite engaging and not entirely without strategy. Cost of food/shelter can range from 4 coins to 9 coins. My strategy involved moving on from the more expensive cities. However, it's possible to encounter hazards while traveling. And even if you find the game to be overly repetitive, the temptation of achieving a new high score may make it difficult to step away. In one playthrough, I lasted 23 days!

A prominent theme is the societal dismissal of people in need. While Begscape does not go into detail, the cities’ population inherently frowns upon your presence. Some individuals may give you coins, but most are content to look away or take advantage of your vulnerability. And sooner or later, you get thrown out. It is such that you are stuck in a continuous cycle of begging to afford basic necessitates with no way out.

Someone kicks over your bowl and grabs your coins. You lose 4 coins.

The gameplay briefly touches on the stigma around homeless people, such as the belief that they only spend money on drugs and nothing else. In addition to being homeless, it we battle other taboos. Notably, our gender.

A mutant beekeeper walks by, mocking your gender.

While there is no further elaboration on this, it nonetheless connects back into the subject of gender identity and judgement which is often found in Porpentine’s work- as is the usage of random generation for NPCs and scenery.

Begscape is a game that you can find yourself visiting time and time again due to its simple central mechanic and the temptation to replay it for a higher score. The protagonist’s situation gives you things to think about.