Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist (DLTTATTCEAWH) is an experimental, fourth wall-breaking interactive fiction game and the first title to be released by William Pugh’s (Co-creator of The Stanley Parable) new studio Crows Crows Crows.
Talking about DLTTATTCEAWH is a lot like trying to convince your friends to visit your favourite haunted house: You want nothing more than to describe it in exquisite detail, but if you reveal too much, you’ll spoil the experience. At the very least, we can reassure you that there is indeed a tiger in this game. The game also has some truly spectacular special effects, but then, that might be giving too much away.
DLTTATTCEAWH is very much a mini, spiritual sequel to The Stanley Parable. Much like in its branching narrative predecessor, you’ll be directed through a series of maze-like rooms by a disembodied voice (voiced by Simon Amstell). However, unlike in The Stanley Parable, the narrator in DLTTATTCEAWH is quite affable. You’ll find yourself forgiving the narrator’s misguided (but ultimately good-natured) attempts at helping you, even as his directions worsen your situation. The narrator shares many of the same character traits as Portal 2‘s Wheatley, though fortunately he doesn’t share Wheatley’s mad thirst for power.
Thematically, DLTTATTCEAWH feels a bit like the developers’ attempt to poke fun at the gaming community’s reaction to The Stanley Parable and, to a lesser extent, the ridiculous beliefs held by some gamers about the process of developing games. Whether those critiques come off as overly defensive or charmingly silly will likely depend on your own opinions on the matter.
DLTTATTCEAWH is quite short, taking only around 15 minutes to complete if you manage to stay on task. But with a world chock full of little goodies to find, you could easily spend a half hour or longer exploring everything DLTTATTCEAWH has to offer. Ultimately, DLTTATTCEAWH is a tremendously fun game that manages to blend slapstick comedy with a more subtle form of satire. So whether or not you manage to pull off the heist, DLTTATTCEAWH is certainly well worth your time investment.
Hint: Sneaking into the mansion is best accomplished through the Orangery. Make sure you hide yourself in the deep shadows of the trees for the most direct route.
Controls: WASD – Movement, Left Mouse Button – Interact
Available On: Windows & Mac
Gameplay video: Here
Download Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist Here (Pay What You Want or Free)