After a wonderful, if exhausting, weekend in Kyoto, WayTooManyGames has returned to nurse a headache and rehydrate from all the dynamic exhibitions at BitSummit. Covering several titles that he encountered there is Oliver Shelling, who only needed bus fare to attend instead of a whole plane ticket. Over the next several days, we’ll be featuring some of the games and publishers that he encountered there. This is the first installment, How Was Your Day? from New Zealand studio Mad Carnival.

How Was Your Day? is a fascinating time loop based point and click adventure that centers around Diya, a  young girl growing up in Lakeview, New Zealand at the end of the 1980s. When her dog, Beans, goes missing, Diya begins to explore and question everything in her small town. However, it becomes apparent something is off, and Diya becomes aware that she’s experiencing the exact same day over and over. With growing elements of high strangeness as things around her begin to spiral, Diya must break out of her comfort zone and confront her own elements of oddity in order to solve the mystery and find herself. In the developers own words, it’s Groundhog Day meets Stranger Things.

As the demo only encompasses a small slice of the overall game, I can’t speak to where the story is going, but I can absolutely attest to how it felt and performed during my time at BitSummit. As a true point and click adventure, players will have a chance to explore and hear all about the life Diya leads that is positively bedazzled with elements of the 1980s in painstaking, loving detail. From the posters on her wall to the rotary phone in the living room, to the incredible degree of earthtones that make up interior decoration, this isn’t a mere paint job to try and capitalize on the retro aesthetic. Mad Carnival truly lived and understands the tonality of The MTV Generation and displays it here, proudly, for all to enjoy. 

I mean, look at these virtual cards you can collect inside the game!

Additionally, there’s a very unique art styling going on with How Was Your Day? that stands up and gets noticed in a field of titles. The hand drawn animation has a rough, bespoke feeling that is unlike any other approach I’ve felt so far in gaming to date. It gives presence and weight to the characters so that they stand out without being outlandish. Even somewhat archetypical characters like Myles, the “too cool for school” younger brother, have their own personality behind their movements and gestures that keep them at the forefront of your mind. While Diya’s words and choices are what most affect the player, her style and her cadence allow her to be a protagonist apart, someone that you really understand amidst frustration, fear and anxiety.

There’s also a good breakdown of gameplay elements early on. While many old school 486 players will have no problem clicking and reading for hours, there’s additional puzzles and mini games that keep the player on their toes and afford a different level of engagement. The one I was able to play was Dogger, a clear homage to Frogger, where Diya has to run across roads and rivers while searching for Beans. You never realize how much you take gaming experience for granted until my daughter tried and just ran straight into the water. These mini games can be accessed later on at any time by playing the game console in Diya’s family’s living room.

Fans of the genre will be pleased to know that one of the foundations of Mad Carnival’s gaming experience was none other than Gabriel Knight, the gothic 1993 adventure that set itself apart from the goofier degrees of other titles. While director Samantha Ramlu does acknowledge and love the Lucasarts titles, I think the direct connection with the era that was a bit darker and a bit more riskier can lead to an even more promising future for How Was Your Day? Additionally, the care that Sam took in making sure the game was being explored and experienced by all participants shows a level of personal touch and enthusiasm that goes beyond merely creating an excellent game. This is her pride and joy, and she’s thrilled to share it with the world.

I am pleased to say Diya did not ask Jesse for any grapes.

Lastly, How Was Your Day? is incredible to see for even further representation for protagonists in games. Diya, as a woman of color in New Zealand, offers a fresh lead in gaming that we don’t get to see nearly enough of. While the number of female leads in point and click adventures has certainly improved (from Nico Collard finally being playable in Broken Sword to Nancy Maple in The Crimson Diamond), diversity allows more players to feel seen and be put at the forefront. Players had a treat with the very short but creative Reclaim! earlier this year, and Diya’s presence in the gaming sphere being one that is so universally relatable while still being individualistic is fantastic. Her offhand comment to Jesse of “wish I had a normal name” is a punch in the gut, and I can’t wait to see more of her own personal exploration.

While it still might be a while yet before we see How Was Your Day? on the front page of Steam, I’m already adding it to my wishlist and checking on it constantly. I’ll keep re-assembling the torn up paper in the vanity and honing my Dogger skills in anticipation for when it finally comes out. Players who are interested should go give some love to the game and add it themselves, to support both Mad Carnival and the indie games community in general. There’s something special coming down the pipeline, and don’t worry if you miss it at first. You might get your chance to try it again…and again…and again…