Tea Party Simulator 2015

Experience the mystery of midsummer in a traditional lakeside cabin in the heart of Finland, where the long evening gradually turns into dawn without ever visiting the night.

Every year you travel to this beautiful and remote part of the world to visit your oldest friend who lives an isolated life off the grid. Except this year for some reason and without warning, she’s not at home.

As you search for the clues that might help find your friend, things start taking a strange turn. Are you succumbing to cabin fever or could rumours of a mysterious lake creature actually explain her disappearance?

An avid social media user, you post regular photos and updates to your friends and followers. The tone you select for those interactions will go some way to determining whether you come through this experience unscathed.

Key Features

• Immersive and atmospheric story
  
• Short game designed to be played in one sitting (1 to 2 hours gameplay)
  
• Story inspired by Finnish culture and mythology
  
• Original soundtrack featuring real-life recordings taken in the Finnish countryside
  
• Beautiful depiction of a Finnish lakeside cabin, from furniture and ornaments to local flora and fauna
  
• Narrative driven through player’s social media posts
  
• Different endings depending on the tone selected for social media posts

Developer Commentary

I wanted to create a game inspired by my love of nature and the folklore that surrounds it. Growing up in Finland meant I spent a lot of time swimming in lakes and hearing about the Näkki, a creature used to scare children away from dangerous waters.
I also wanted my game to feel contemporary and more in line with how people behave and interact in 2020. For better or worse we use our phones for almost everything so I wanted that to be a key narrative device.
Finally, in terms of gameplay and general atmosphere, I wanted to create an experience that was suspenseful, relaxing and slightly tongue in cheek.