This is my truth, tell me yours

We’ve been thinking about the Rashomon effect this month, with several games encouraging us to consider events from different perspectives. Dontnod’s latest episodic adventure Tell Me Why (p106) explicitly invokes Kurosawa’s masterpiece in one scene. The player must choose between two conflicting accounts, with the awareness that their decision might strengthen or weaken the psychic bond between twins Alyson and Tyler. Yet the central plot betrays that fascinating conceit, leaving no space for interpretation.

Gaudy murder mystery Paradise Killer (p98) doesn’t mention Rashomon by name, yet its idiosyncratic investigation is truer to Kurosawa’s approach. We end up with a series of contradictory accounts to pick over, the game letting us come up with our own picture of how things played out. If that all but rules out any late-game surprises, the process of finding your own truth through the facts you’ve uncovered is equally exciting. Inkle’s Pendragon (p100) goes one step further. As you guide various figures from Arthurian legend towards a fateful confrontation, their motives and perspectives lend new meaning and resonance to friendly and adversarial encounters alike.

Two of this month’s standout games also leave plenty of gaps for us to fill. The sprawling Crusader Kings III (p94) might span hundreds of years, but its stories still feel intimate, each event giving you just enough narrative detail for your imagination to do the rest. A Monster’s Expedition (Through Puzzling Exhibitions) (p104) takes the concept more literally, as you roll logs to form bridges between islands. Your reward is some of the most delightful writing we’ve encountered all year. It’s a reminder that the best videogame storytellers understand the value of getting the player to do some of the work. The truth is out there, they say – now go and find it.