Mar 9, 2021
Raccoon
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Raccoon
A Mortician’s Tale Game Design Analysis & Review
A Mortician’s Tale
A Mortician’s Tale, developed by Laundry Bear Games, is a meditative narrative game that attempts to explore death education through the lens of a funeral director’s daily work. It is thoughtful, calming, and well intentioned, but it falls short in areas where accuracy and deeper research were essential to fully support its educational goals.
Level Design and Professional Accuracy
The level design is simple, but not always well thought through for a game centered on death education. Certain spaces feel unrealistic for the profession being portrayed. The prep room and crematory being located in the same room, for example, does not reflect how funeral homes are actually organized. The absence of a body cooler is another noticeable omission.
There are also accuracy issues in the embalming process itself. Fluid is never injected toward the head first, as the head is one of the most critical areas to monitor during embalming. Bodies prepared for cremation were also placed into the retort backwards. These details matter, especially in a game that aims to educate players about real world practices. More research should have gone into these elements to better serve the game’s purpose.
Sound and Atmosphere
The sound design is calming and emotionally effective. It creates a peaceful atmosphere that makes the topic of death feel approachable, especially for players who are not part of the industry. The audio does a lot of heavy lifting in helping the game feel respectful and reflective.
Controls and Accessibility
The character controller works well for mouse based point and click interaction. However, the game is not very controller friendly, which may limit accessibility for some players.
User Interface and Presentation
The user interface feels appropriate for the profession. The computer interface fits a funeral director’s workflow, and the tools at the prep table feel accurate in presentation. Visually, the game does a good job grounding the player in the role.
The game is also easy to understand. Instructions are clear, and importantly, they explain why tasks are being done rather than just telling the player what to do. This reinforces the educational intent nicely.
Visuals and Character Design
The character design for the main character is surprisingly accurate to modern female morticians. The tattoo sleeve, in particular, felt like a realistic and thoughtful touch that added authenticity.
Story and Educational Value
The story is grounded and true to reality. The portrayal of large corporations taking over smaller funeral homes reflects real industry trends. The game also introduces players to alternative methods of disposition such as water cremation and green burial, which helps broaden public understanding of end of life options.
I genuinely had fun playing this game! Seeing the death industry represented at all is meaningful, especially as someone who is passionate about death education. The game takes an important risk by tackling this subject matter, and that deserves recognition.
Replay Value
Would I replay A Mortician’s Tale? Probably. That said, its strongest value lies in being shared with others. Passing it along to people who could benefit from its educational perspective feels more impactful than replaying it for the narrative alone. If you are there strictly for story, replay value is fairly limited.
Final Thoughts
A Mortician’s Tale is a thoughtful and meditative experience that opens the door to death education in games. While its intentions are strong, it needed deeper research and a willingness to dive further into the grittier realities of embalming to fully deliver on its promise. It already took the risk. It just needed to go deeper!
Rating: Three out of five toe beans 🐾🐾🐾❌❌ A solid introduction to the realities of funeral work and death education. A good tip of the iceberg for players curious about what happens behind the scenes at a funeral home. Good job, Laundry Bear Games!
y'all don't even KNOW how cool raccoons are
I just learned that the Japanese word for raccoon is 洗い熊 which translates literally to “washing machine bear” and I am overjoyed