Do Not Feed the Monkeys... a game that I absolutely loved and I was so excited to see that a sequel was in the works to this fantastic game — today, I had an email from Steam informing me that the sequel was now released and I hurriedly raced to the store page to have a looksie.
So far reviews are favourable, that this is exactly what people wanted to see in a sequel, and I couldn't help myself, I grabbed it. 😁
For those who may not have played the first game, basically: we sneakily watch surveillance cameras of people in their homes and/or business. Most people have secrets. We can decipher these secrets and blackmail the people if we choose. While performing surveillance, we also need to eat, sleep, and pay rent so you have to find a good time to be away from the cameras and focus on your needs... but you might miss something! 😱
I find it to be very gripping and enjoyable, and there are multiple endings based on how much or how little you interact with the people — the monkeys — and it's such a simple game, but executed perfectly.
Let's see how the sequel holds up!
This time around we're in the future. There are robots and strange aliens, different planets, and honestly, I'm finding the futurism a bit jarring.
While the game is set up pretty much the same as the first — you have your PC, notepad and phone, and if you wave the mouse to the right you'll see your fridge, door, job board and bed — it manages to feel different at the same time.
I'm not sure how to explain my thoughts exactly. But, within my first hour of the game I just wanted to go back to the old game. I felt overwhelmed, it was too techy, didn't feel like "home." That probably doesn't make sense.
I turned it off for a bit, then decided to try again.
Second time around was much better. I was more prepared for the "Futurism" and was able to better get into the world and game.
For this first playthrough I wanted to do things ~by the book~ and not feed the monkeys, interact with them, bribe and blackmail them. Just watch and follow the instructions of my overlords.
Just as in the first game, you have a set amount of time to invest in new cameras, pay the rent, buy food and get appropriate sleep, and try to unravel the people behind the cameras. As you're watching people, you can note down words that they say and the objects around them, and input them into a search to discover more.
The Club will ask for your observations at times. Like, what is the name of the dude behind camera 3? And what planet does the person on camera 7 happen to be on?
It's up to you to discover these things by paying attention to the feeds. Beware, though, because disclosing this information could result in some bad news for the people you're watching. xD
Annndddd... I failed. 😅
It's a real struggle trying to juggle the sleeping, the working, the watching of the cameras, so you can afford rent, food, and MOAR CAMERAS. There are stocks you can invest in this time around, and, of course, bribing and blackmailing the "monkeys". But I think I did well enough for my first attempt.
Now that my initial "jarred" feeling is gone, this game is basically the exact same as the previous game, just set in the future. As per my own experience, that can be a bit of a sudden shock at first but you can quickly get over it.
If you enjoyed the first Do Not Feed the Monkeys, I am entirely confident that you'll enjoy this sequel too. 😊
I'm going to start another playthrough now, this time on the slightly more "relaxed" mode and see how I go.
Until next time! 🐵