Mad Peas' UNIA

The crazy game people at Mad Pea have struck again. Their latest, UNIA, is now open. Several people, including Inara Pey and Ziki Questi, have already blogged about it. There’s a web site devoted to the game, including a “Prologue” and a good description of how the game works.

The game description begins:

What an amazing day! It was a trip you had been dreading, but your friend's wedding turned out to be a memorable one. You're driving home, tired, but smiling and laughing to yourself, replaying the favorite moments of the event in your mind. Your head in the clouds, you don't notice right away the subtle shaking of the car. Suddenly, the shaking turns into violent bucks, smoke curls out from under the hood, and the whole heap starts to lurch out of control. 

Snapping out of your reverie, you grab the steering wheel with both hands and white-knuckle it, wrestling the bucking, heaving car to the side of the road, where it crashes to a stop. 

Coughing, you stumble out of the mess and look around. 

"Where am I?" 

You hadn't really paid much attention to the road signs, but you spot a run-down building with the town's name painted over its doorway: "Molimo." 

The dusty town is strangely quiet. With no other choice at hand, you wander around, hoping to find help. What you find instead is entirely unexpected ....

An intriguing beginning!

The game requires a HUD, available for purchase in three different levels: Bronze (L$400), Silver (L$750), and Gold (L$1000); the different levels provide increasing amounts of equipment to start. Game play involves looking at objects, collecting certain objects, and solving the central mystery of what’s going on, all the while trying to avoid getting killed by lurking monsters.

I’m not a big fan of first-person shooter games, and this aspect of UNIA doesn’t particularly appeal to me, but I can help but feel I’ll give the game a try at some point.

Return to Mulberry

You exit the dark tunnel to find yourself in a small town. It seems deserted. Walking by crumbling buildings and sagging fences, you judge that no one has cared for the town in quite some time, even if the place appeared to be populated until recently. Next to the school, on the ground, lie body bags, all occupied. As you continue to explore the town, however, you discover that those souls have not departed - not entirely, at least... The school, the rail station, the carnival - all are haunted by those who have met violent deaths. Your unease grows. Is the killer still there?

The first view of town

Mulberry - The Abandoned is a reworking of the haunted town I visited several years ago. The owner and designer, Mr. Lou Mannock, kindly invited me back to see the changes. Whereas much of the action in the old build took place in the woods, here the town is the center of attention.Everywhere where is evidence of ghastly happenings, both in the physical world and beyond.

A less-than-quiet cemetery

Mulberry is open through Nov. 6.

Bodies laid out - but by whom?

Indications of Satanic activity?

He's just hanging around

Under the big top

The train station

Just a Sleepy Coastal New England Town

I was tired, and I had not been away for quite some time. I asked my travel agent where I might vacation for the pittance I had saved for such a trip. She considered me carefully for a long time, then sighed and said, "There is one place that would fit your budget. A sleepy coastal New England town by the name of Innsmouth."

I had never heard of the place, but I accepted the brochures the lady offered me. It seemed quaint, it seemed quiet, and, perhaps most importantly, it seemed cheap. What could possibly go wrong?

The town had clearly seen better days. I disembarked near several stately mansions, but all were in ruins.


As I walked the gray streets, night closed in. I had the uneasy feeling that this was not the sort of place one wanted to wander after dark. Though I saw few people, I sensed the presence of something else, something ancient and evil.

Even the sight of a children's playground did little to comfort me. The equipment was rusted, as though it had not been tended to or even used for years. And I saw no children.




I tried several doors, but each was locked. One opened into a damaged theater. Once upon a time, it had been elegant and stylish, with as much attention paid to details far overhead as the stage itself. Now it was a neglected ruin. Torn between staying in this drafty, mildewed space and heading back into the dark, the sound of several large rats scurrying on the flooring decided the issue for me. I moved on.

The next building to which I gained access did not settle my agitated mind. This appeared to be a temple to one of the Old Ones, a god of unimaginable mystery and powers...and no doubt unimaginable cruelty. Not that I believed in the Old Ones, mind you, but why take chances?


At last I found refuge: the local tavern. True, the calendar on the wall was dated several years ago, and the wine had long since spoiled. But the place had an ample whisky supply and no pesky bartender. As outside the wind howeled its unearthly moans and a mysterious fog descended, I settled in for the night.


The next morning, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself still among the living...though, standing up, my head pounded so hard that the pleasure diminished just a tad.

As quickly as I could, I made my way to the harbor and bribed a local fisherman to take me away from town, as far as he was willing to go. My travel agent would be hearing from me shortly...