Sometimes I wonder if the bug’s life is ideal. Your only real concern is sustenance, and avoiding being crushed underfoot. Of course, Kafka’s Gregor Samsa didn’t get off that lightly: becoming a bug after first being a man would definitely not be fun, especially if you’ve got a family to support. The ye olde point and click adventure Bad Mojo didn’t make the bug’s life seem like much fun either. Still, I kinda wouldn’t mind spending at least one day as a bug.
So I’m pretty excited to inhabit a bug in Metamorphosis, which releases today. The game is inspired by Kafka’s classic short story of the same name, but I don’t think you should expect a blow-by-blow account of it. Indeed, the game seems to be a tribute to Kafka’s broader oeuvre: there are hints of The Trial and The Castle in the above launch trailer.
The trailer definitely feels more Tim Burton than Kafka, but it also looks really fun. It’s a mix of first-person puzzling and platforming, and it currently has a 10 percent discount on Steam to celebrate launch.