You’re the world’s smoothest talker.

​

Every conversation is just a game of ping pong to you.

NPC begins conversation and serves “ball”

Player chooses one of three speech bubbles

Player returns serve

NPC returns serve

• Pong mechanics:
• A spark bouncing between the speech bubbles, behaving as the ball.
• NPC and player’s speech bubbles, used as the paddles. They’re moved on the vertical axis to hit the spark back and forth.

• Point system:
• If the player or the NPC misses the spark, the other side gains a point and initiates the next round.
• If the player says the wrong thing, they lose points.

​

• Win and fail states:
• The game ends with the player winning if they reach the end of the conversation without their score becoming zero.
• If their score reaches zero, the conversation fails and the player begins again.

What’s your business here?

I’m visiting my grandfather.

I’m a reporter from Il Giornale.

I’m shooting a documentary about the city’s subway.

What’s your grandpa’s name?

Haroun.

Vecelli.

Haroun Vecelli.

That’s an old family name.

Yes, well. I’m in a hurry.

You’ve heard the name before?

I wouldn’t know…

we left the country when I was two.

You’re in a hurry? Why?

Granda’s expecting me.

I’ve had a long journey and I’m tired.

I have a long way to go.

Where does he stay?

The Northern coast.

The Southern delta.

The Eastern peninsula.

You mean the Northern mountains?

Yes. A slip of the tongue.

My mistake, I meant the Southern delta.

My mistake, I meant the Eastern peninsula.

Vecelli isn’t a southern name.

Our family moved long ago, before the war.

Our family moved there from the north.

Our family moved there from the east.

Hm. What’s his address?

No 10, Via Messina.

Let me check, I’ve written it down somewhere.

Why do you want to know?

Here it is.

I left it behind at my hotel.

Why do you need to?

This is standard procedure. Can I see your passport?

But I need to see him today! He’s dying.

But I’ve come from so far away!

Wait, let me check again.

Come back with it another day. Next, please.

Alright, I have a press pass. Will that do?

Wait, let me check again.

But my

grand-da’s dying.

No exceptions, sorry.

Yes, I work at Il Giornale.

Yes, but I’m on holiday.

Yes, I’m making a documentary.

You’re a journalist?

Shit.

That Bolshevist rag? No entry for people like you.

Aesthetic:

Character portraits in side profile, with sharply sketched lineart.

Colours:

Bright and discordant, and used to indicate emotions like: nervous, lying, relief, angry, happy, sad.

Animation:

Choppy frame-by-frame animation.