Gameplay/storyline

This is the game plot, storyline with gameplay details, probably doesn't count as the synopsis. (1087 words)

Start of game

Level 1 (equilibrium)

Barney Daniels is travelling back from the coal mine in the north of Arizona, the game starts with him in the back of an empty coal truck with other miners. Whilst the truck drives down a dusty road you hear Barney’s monologue as narration. As the narration ends the view would pan upwards and rotate to watch the coal truck enter Phoenix City. Text would then appear; “Phoenix City
1926”

The next scene we see Barney getting off the coal truck on a street, he hops down, some miners give him reassuring gestures, pats on the back etc. and finally the coal truck drives away, leaving Barney stood on the pavement. The player then takes control of the character, Barney and is given the first objective to go into the sweet shop across the road. As the player you would only be able to walk in the set location of the street and interact with certain objects in this closed area. Interactive objects would include things that are related to the storyline and things that are just for aesthetics, this will encourage the player to interact more with the game as they try to work out what they should be doing. Eventually the player will follow the objective and enter the sweet shop, which is revealed to be a front to the speakeasy, Robbie’s Club, following some more point and click puzzle play as the player searches what they need to do to move a stack of shelves to reveal a hidden entrance to the underground speakeasy. We enter Robbie’s Club and meet a few of the 8 concept characters, the mobster Robert Freidman, his wife Frances, the piano player Ivory and the starred singer of the club, Dorothy Black.

We learn a bit about each character as the player controls Barney in the closed location of the speakeasy, gameplay reveals itself more as the player can speak to these characters and have conversation topics to choose from to discover more about them. Again there are objects you can interact with and also some background people who may just say the one thing to you when you talk to them. Eventually the player will talk to Robert and reveal that Robert has lent a large amount of money to Barney, which he’s been using to pay for Coleen’s singing lessons, clothes, make-up etc. Barney buys a drink and watches Dorothy Black sing. After she’s finished the player will talk to Frances who confirms she’ll have Coleen as one of the chorus girls. Barney returns home via a dress shop to pick up a tailored dress for Coleen. He tells Coleen the good news that she has her first proper ‘gig’ and the scene ends. As time passes Coleen, Amelia and Lily become more successful and eventually replace Dorothy. During this time Robert keeps reminding Barney about the money he’s lent him.

Level 2 (disruption)

                More time has passed; Coleen, Amelia and Lily become more and more successful in the club, with promises to go higher from Frances. However Robert becomes impatient from waiting for Barney to pay him back. One night whilst Coleen is singing, Barney goes outside for some air after having a bit of a coughing fit, caused by being a coal miner. Robert follows him outside with a baseball bat. The gameplay would lead up to where Barney leaves the club via the alleyway exit; from then on it changes to a cut scene of Barney’s brutal murder at the hands of Robert. During this there would be heated argument between the two of them, ending with Robert threatening to get his money through Coleen. This then escalates into a fight where Robert, being the younger and stronger man wins and then kills Barney with a baseball bat.

Level 3 (Recognition)

                The player now plays as Coleen Daniels. Barney now dead, there’s a mystery over who’s killed him. Frances Ripley hasn't kept promises she’d made to the girls (Coleen, Amelia and Lily) to make them big stars. As Coleen you control the character in the space of a few days in the story, talking to characters and interacting with certain objects to try and make sense of her Father’s death. At this stage the player will sing songs to unlock certain conversation topics. Throughout this section of the game Ivory will start becoming more known to the player, becoming more involved with Coleen and searching to find answers too. Eventually the player will come across a topic with Ivory after a few nights in the storyline. At this point the player switches character again to Ivory, starting with a cut-scene of him cleaning up at the end of the night, then allowing the player to point and click their way to discovering a conversation between Robert and Frances. Another cut-scene begins following the conversation and the player (and Coleen) learns about how Robert is the one who killed Barney and he’s been taking cuts of Coleen’s earnings even after having the debt repaid. He also reveals that Barney had lost his job to Coleen and that he’d been keeping it secret. Distraught and scared, Coleen flees the club.

Level 4 (repair)

                Ivory, angered by the news of Robert being responsible for Barney’s death, plans to confront him after the club closes the same night he tells Coleen about what he overheard the previous night. As he cleans up at the end of the night, the player hears his internal monologue during a cut scene. The player then controls Ivory as he enters Robert’s office and attacks him. After a struggle between the two characters with quick response point and click sequences the player will finally kill Robert and then head down to the club’s cellar to start a fire. This part of the game ends when Ivory leaves the club and takes Robert’s car.

Level 5 (Restoration/end)

                For this part of the game, there is no gameplay, only a cinematic cut-scene as Ivory drives to Coleen’s house. After telling her what he’s done, they both leave Phoenix in Robert’s car. Meanwhile we see Frances return to the club to find it in flames, she promptly leaves without a care, knowing that she never had feelings for Robert and that sticking around would only lead to giving her trouble with the police. As the end scene we see Ivory and Coleen driving out of Phoenix, neither of them saying a word, Coleen shedding a tear and Ivory cold faced.