David Smith explores Irish Imbas Books' brand-new online, adventure-style literary game ‘An Camhaoir Fuilsmeartha/ Dark Dawn’.
As a child, I was obsessed with 'choose your own' adventure-style stories.
I spent many sleepless nights consuming R.L. Stine's spooky 'Goosebumps' series, and I was an avid reader of his 'Give Yourself Goosebumps' books, where every decision you made influenced the main character's fate.
In more recent times, Black Mirror took a similar approach with their experimental 'Bandersnatch' episode.
So, unsurprisingly, I was excited to hear about a new online literary game called 'An Camhaoir Fuilsmeartha'/'Dark Dawn' by Irish Imbas Books.
Irish Imbas Books, which was set up by Irishman Brian O'Sullivan in 2014, has created this free online adventure-style story based on elements of the Fenian Cycle (adapted from the 12th century Macgnímartha Finn).
The story, which serves as a retelling of part of that mythological narrative, takes between 20 and 40 minutes to complete.
Interestingly, it can be experienced through text or through audio, and is available in both Irish (‘An Camhaoir Fuilsmeartha') or English ('Dark Dawn').
It is worth noting, however, that this is certainly not a game for children. There is some mild swearing and some not-so-mild violence, and the website recommends the game for a 16+ audience.
The tale is told from the perspective of a soldier named 'Ultán. Ultán, we learn, is slowly dying of a disease known as the "black flux".
We are treated to detailed (and often humorous) descriptions of the setting:
A secluded, V-shaped valley deep in the folds of the Great Wild’s crinkled arse. Two forested ridges stretch north-west and south-east, a tight-curving cliff at one end to tuck it in all nice.
With a fian (war-party) more than fifty strong heading towards the settlement of Ráth Bládhma, Ultán's companion Fiacail wants Ultán to "sharpen his blades" and kill the advancing enemy scouts.
At the end of the first page of the story, you are presented with two choices. You can accept Fiacail's task, or you can refuse and let Ráth Bládhma fend for itself.
Each page of the vividly described story ends leaves you with a decision to make.
It makes for an immersive reading experience, and the story is littered with humorous anecdotes and sage musings:
It’s the clever man who learns battle-guile from grey-haired warriors, but scouting’s a young man’s game.
If you accept Fiacail's mission, which one of three routes to attack the scouts will you take?
Will you choose correctly, and correctly hunt down the scouts? Or are you destined to fail, leaving Fiacail and the others inside the ráth at the mercy of the enemy?
If you make the wrong choices, you will 'fail' and be sent back to the beginning of the game.
The 'choose your own' reading style is a clever way of making you invest in the story and pay attention to the plot, and the adventure game serves as a good entry point for Irish Imbas Books' Fionn mac Cumhaill Series, which features Ráth Bládhma as a setting.
If you're looking for something fresh and different, and are interested in early Irish history, you will enjoy this game.
You can play it here.
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