Demo opens for stand-up comedy quest Smokey Mike

• Announcements by Sam Amiotte-Beaulieu
• Published:

Old-school point-and-click adventure revealed for Steam on Windows PC

It’s not easy standing on stage and making folks laugh, and Spanish indie developer Medium Energy knows that all too well. The upcoming Smokey Mike looks to shine a light on the behind-the-scenes of life as a comic, as it’s “written and developed by a comedian with more than 15 years of real experience on stage.”

Paco is an aspiring comedian in 2010 Buenos Aires, working his way up through the various venues that will hire him to perform his stand-up routine. Gathering new ideas for jokes to try out on unpredictable crowds hones his material and allows for new approaches to getting guffaws. Every audience offers a new chance for Paco to build his confidence and reputation in order to put together "five bulletproof minutes for an audition that could change his life." With only three weeks until the big day, Paco must navigate the “beautiful social zoo” of the comedy circuit by mingling with and competing against fellow comedians “all chasing the same ambition.” Through the “constant highs and lows” of the world of stand-up, only one comic can achieve true greatness – and it’ll take every joke Paco’s got (and then some) to make his way to the top.

Smokey Mike is a classic point-and-click pixel art adventure set in “the chaotic comedy scene of Buenos Aires.” Controlled through a traditional icon-based interface, the game takes you through various “smokey nightclubs, cramped backstages and bars” based on real-life locations. There you’ll converse with a colorful cast of characters to solve dialogue and inventory puzzles. You must pack your schedule with as many nights of comedy gigs as you can, and to do that you’ll need to rub shoulders with the venue owners in town to convince them you’re worth the price of admission. Paco keeps track of potential jokes in his notebook, and the more jokes you have, the more flexibility for material for your set. Joke ideas can come from anywhere – from interacting with characters to something as mundane as reading a book. 

Paco’s confidence is tracked by a meter at the bottom of the screen that shows how assured he is feeling. Have a couple beers at the bar? That’ll give Paco a boost. Completely bombing an attempt at flirting with a redhead? That’s a one-way ticket to a crushed ego. Having a higher confidence level will allow for more options in dialogue and therefore jokes to choose from on stage. You must finish each gig by guiding Paco through his comedy routine by clicking on the options you think best fit the current clientele. (A college crowd has different tastes than an older audience, for example.) Accompanying your performance is a fire-and-ice meter that indicates how well the show is going – lots of laughs means you’re on fire, but an awkward chuckle is ice cold. Your comedic prowess might lead to a stellar evening, but there are branching paths and multiple endings depending on the choices you make. Play it smart and who knows – Paco might possibly even find love along the way.

There is currently no release date for Smokey Mike, but a demo is already available now on Steam for Windows PC for aspiring comics looking to get in some early stage time.

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