A Golden Wake to shine brighter in Roaring '20s Edition

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Complete reimagining of Francisco González's 2014 point-and-click adventure unveiled for PC on Steam

The 2020s have given us all a giant raspberry so far, but a hundred years ago, post-war life was booming (if turbulent and at least theoretically dry) in the United States. In his first ever commercial game, indie developer Francisco González, best known at the time for his Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator freeware series, invited players back to that decade of "glitz, glamour, and corruption" in his 2014 point-and-click adventure A Golden Wake. Now, more than a decade (and the success of Shardlight, Lamplight City and Rosewater) later, Francisco is returning us to that bygone era in an enhanced, expanded reimagining of the original game called the Roaring '20s Edition.

Alfie Banks dreams of "getting to the top, making a name for himself, and being remembered." Unfortunately he's stuck in a "dead-end salesman job," so he abruptly quits and hops in his car bound for sunny Florida, where he "dives headfirst into the glitzy haze of the 1920s Land Boom, determined to make Miami his oyster." At first his new life is everything he imagined, but what Alfie didn't expect is that "even the Sunshine State has shadows." Corrupted by his insatiable craving for more, Alfie comes to understand that in a "Prohibition-era Miami beset by rumrunners, mobsters, shady businessmen, decadent nightlife, devastating hurricanes, and a real estate bubble ready to burst, ambition carries a heavy price" – and no there are no IOUs accepted when payment comes due. As you progress through Alfie's cautionary tale of "greed, loyalty, and second chances," you'll be forced to face the question of whether it's possible to "live the American Dream without losing your soul."

Inspired by "actual historical figures and events," A Golden Wake's original premise and gameplay remain largely intact in the Roaring '20s Edition. As you guide the ill-fated protagonist through the sandy beaches, "sun-drenched streets and shadowy speakeasies of 1920s Miami," you'll help him rise in stature and then navigate his inevitable fall by collecting items, solving inventory puzzles, and engaging with a diverse cast of characters in dialogue. Much of this is done in traditional point-and-click fashion, but to succeed you'll also need to become a kind of "social detective" at times by tapping into Alfie's "natural gift for reading people" and wielding the "power of persuasion as you climb you way to the top." The overall story too will follow its predecessor's path, but the new version is not a 1:1 remake, promising an "expanded narrative, brand-new puzzles [and] additional characters and locations" to explore this time around. 

The look and sound of the game are also getting an overhaul, of course, helping to smooth over what Francisco refers to as "some rough edges and untapped potential" of the orginal version. More than a mere remaster, the Roaring '20s Edition represents a "complete reimagining" of the original design, complete with beautiful hand-drawn, hi-res graphics "brought to life through ... smooth, rotoscoped animations." The soundtrack will also be new, with an original score befitting the Jazz Age setting "composed by Pete Gresser, orchestrated by Mark Benis, and recorded on live instruments." The cast of over 60 characters will now be fully voiced by a "star-studded" lineup headlined by ______. Other new additions include a "suite of quality-of-life and accessibility upgrades," such as an optional hotspot highlighter, customizable text pacing, improved inventory visibility, and a "built-in journal and recap feature designed to get players right back up to speed after taking a break from the game."

There is no target release date for this "definitive" version of A Golden Wake, but the Roaring '20s Edition can now be wishlisted on Steam, where it will launch for Windows PC. 

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