The Novelist stars three characters: Dan Kaplan, a father attempting to finish writing the most important book of his career; Dan’s wife and their young son – and you won’t play as any of these people. Instead, players control an omniscient presence in the family’s summer cabin, able to watch their daily lives, read their thoughts, enter their memories and influence their actions. The only catch is that the ghost must stay out of sight.

“It’s up to you to decide how Dan’s career and family life will evolve, but choose carefully; there are no easy answers, and every choice has a cost,” The Novelist‘s description reads. “Dan’s relationships – to his work, his wife and his son – react and shift in response to your choices. With a different sequence of events in every playthrough, The Novelist gives life to a unique experience each time you play.

“The decisions you make will define the Kaplans’ lives, but they may also tell you something about yourself.”

The Novelist is the brain child of Kent Hudson, who worked on AAA titles such as BioShock 2, Thief: Deadly Shadows, Deus Ex: Invisible War, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, and maybe even more games with subtitles. He left the mainstream industry in 2011, and has been working on The Novelist ever since. We hope he wasn’t working all the time, though – all work and no play make Kent a dull boy.

The Novelist is due out on PC and Mac this summer, with pre-orders live now at a 25 percent discount ($ 15) via Hudson’s site, with a Steam Greenlight page ready to roll.

The Novelist takes ‘ghostwriting’ to a new, emotional level originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 May 2013 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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