Negative Space Games

Game: Stars Over Half Moon Bay
Developer: Rod Humble
Platform: PC
Price: Free
Rating: 8/10

Rod Humble is best known for a game called The Marriage, which dealt with exactly what the title says.  Not exactly a usual subject for video games, but then Humble isn’t exactly your usual game designer.  If you need further proof of that, look no farther then Humble’s second foray into indie gaming, the exquisitely titled Stars Over Half Moon Bay.

Not only do you connect the lines between the stars to draw those constellations, but you also get to lead the stars around the night sky like some sort of pied piper.

The Marriage succeeded in large part because of the way it dealt with a real world situation in an abstract world of circles and squares.  Stars on the other hand plants you directly into a concrete world that just about anyone can relate to, looking up at the stars.  The way you interpret and interact with those stars is the subject of the game.

I’ll try not to spoil the rules of the game in this review, as Humble seems to consider figuring out the rules of his game a part of the experience.  In the case of The Marriage I agree with him, but I have to admit that I had a more difficult time with Stars.  If you still can’t figure out the game after several tries don’t be afraid to check out the rules on his web page.

Basically the game centers around the creation of constellations.  Not only do you connect the lines between the stars to draw those constellations, but you also get to lead the stars around the night sky like some sort of pied piper.  The experience may sound strange and maybe a little dull, but the execution is nothing short of sublime. 

Each constellation you create becomes a memory.  You can access your memories from the game’s main page.  This simple feature is what raises the game above The Marriage in my personal opinion.  It connects every play session you’ve ever had together into a cohesive wordless narrative that you can watch.

Visually Stars is incredibly simple, but also incredibly beautiful to watch.  Special credit should be given to the blue-black of space around the stars that somehow manages to perfectly catch the hue of night.  The stars themselves are varied nicely so that you never feel like you’re just looking at a sky filled with life-less clones.

The audio side of Stars is equally accomplished with a haunting song by Critical Monkey that sounds at once dreamy and contemplative.  Compared to the purposefully silent Marriage the music brings Stars to life in a way that almost calls up memories of lying on your back in a field starring down into the stars.

Space has always been a personal fascination for me—until I was in high school I stuck to the desire to become an astronaut.  I have many memories of watching shooting stars and constellations with my siblings, and this game brought all of them back to the surface.  If you have any similar feelings or memories I highly recommend this simple game.  And even if you’ve never been captivated by the night sky before, this game is the perfect place to start.

Posted by Matt 2.28.08