The Kuolema by Ben Jackson profile Mystery 2023

About the Story

This game has been entirely 'remastered' and released as part of the Spring Thing 2024 competition. To play the updated and definitive version, click here.

An abandoned vessel is found, lost and adrift in the South China Sea. Its radio is silent, there's no sign of anyone on board. Your task: find out what happened, what cargo it was carrying and if it really is as empty as it seems.

As the ship powers on its blind course towards Chinese waters, you find yourself in a race against time. Look for clues and uncover the mystery of The Kuolema...

The first release, for Spring Thing 2023, was an attempt to create an ambitious and complex choice-based narrative entirely within Google Forms. The game is designed to push the format to its limits, making the best of its strengths, whilst working around its limitations.

It features a deep, compelling and lengthy story that slowly builds from part 1 to its thrilling conclusion in part 3. It’s fully illustrated, including locations, puzzles and notes.

Whilst there’s no ‘save-game’ function, game progress is tied to the codes you discover, the notes you make are your save-game. There is a simple built-in hints system within the game and a complete walkthrough is also available that contains all puzzle solutions.

Game Details