LEGENDARY author Neil Gaiman has lent his voice to an upcoming project from a Scots gaming company, sharing his excitement ahead of its release next year.
The bestselling author has an extensive list of best-selling books under his belt, including popular tv shows Good Omens, American Gods, Lucifer, and The Sandman.
He has also had an array of popular movie adaptations such as Coraline, How to Talk to Girls at Parties and blockbuster movie Stardust which grossed $179m.
The Good Omens author is currently in the process of filming Season 2 of the Amazon Prime series alongside Scots actor David Tennant.
However, he has now provided an animated narration for the Cluedo-esque game, Forest of Deceit, from Scots game designers Ghost Camp.
Speaking today, Neil said: “I was intrigued when it was first described to me, delighted to take part in it, and can’t wait for it to get out into the world!
“We were recording ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) for Good Omens and we were able to make it work for me to do the narration for the game only because Thomas and Oli came into our studio, directed me, and talked me through the purpose of all the narration.
“It felt strange and fun to be recording in the same little space all our Good Omens actors had been recording their ‘bits’ and also completely intriguing.”
Ghost Camp – a Dundee-based company – will be showcasing the 4-8 player game on 15th October at Dundee Contemporary Arts, where visitors will be able to experience Neil’s narration while being immersed in the online story.
Speaking to the team today, they said: “Forest of Deceit is a party game where some of you can’t be trusted.
Allanna Maitland, and Elenora Pihlajisto. (C) Abertay University
“You use your phones as controllers to play through a treacherous experience where the innocent among you are trying to build shelter from a storm, and the traitors are trying to stop the rest of you from constructing said shelter without being detected.
“Our biggest inspirations were social tabletop games with traitor mechanics like Secret Hitler and Werewolf as well as a CBBC show from our childhoods called Trapped.
“It’s quite a wild thought that someone [Neil] with such a deep connection to literature has offered us his voice to help our ideas come to life.
“I think both of our artists have done a fantastic job capturing the atmosphere and style, making it seem as though his narration belongs to the game.
“This is the guy who wrote Sandman who’s saying our game is good enough for him to narrate it. He’s got a great voice and I think that he fits the social narrative the game makes as everybody tries to figure out who the traitor is.
“Although the project started out as a student project, I think having someone as well known as him has really inspired the whole team to put their absolute best foot forward and go an extra mile for the project.
Team member Thomas Mackinnon added: “I know Neil through my dad, who directed Good Omens for Amazon Prime, and the BBC.
“I’m aware of how privileged and lucky I am to have that connection, so I try not to take too much advantage of it, but we had a game that needed a narrator… and who better for our dark, storybook style?”
