Begging and petty theft. A new computer game for the homeless in the streets of Prague
Collect garbage cans, beg, steal and most importantly survive the harsh winter. Such is the content of the new Czech computer game Hobo: Tough Life, in which players take on the role of a homeless man in the streets of Praslav. Behind the game is a small independent team of Czech developers Perun Creative, who were inspired not only by the realities of the capital, but also by the real stories of the homeless. The authors have been working on the game for almost four years and plan to further improve it. It should also come out on a game console later.
“Welcome to Praslav – a cold Central European city, which becomes even colder with the coming of winter. Prague is recovering from the last century under the communist regime and the period of political unrest that followed the end of the Cold War. Although most people hoped for the arrival of capitalism and democracy, there were those who adapted to the new socio-economic climate. Before they could continue, they found themselves on a street without a roof over their heads. You are one of these people, “says the game’s caption.
In the skin of a virtual homeless person, according to the authors, it is necessary to pay attention to a number of factors that affect survival on the street. The enemy is not only hunger, but also cold weather and cleanliness. “Poor hygiene and dirty hygiene, low temperatures are the most common diseases, and every bit of food eaten has to come out sometimes,” the developers note.
To successfully survive, players can also build improvised shelters and shelters made of materials found in various parts of Praslav, an alternative version of the Czech capital. The authors were inspired not only by the realities of Prague, but also by the real stories of the homeless, from whom they drew “know-how”.
In the list of possibilities, Czech creators also mention begging or fulfilling tasks, or less honest collection of passers-by and pass-through of buildings. Some situations can be diplomatic or brute if there are no police patrols in the area. Up to three other players can participate in the survival.
Hobo: Tough Life has been in development for almost four years. before the full version arrived, the split game was available on the Steam digital store. “It has been a long and very difficult journey. During that time, we transformed from a garage project into a prosperous company with two studios, “wrote one of the members of the development team, Jiří Vašica. The authors want to fine-tune the game with updates, and plan to release a version for its console by the end of the year.