My Father’s Work

Pete: Hey Keegan, have you ever read Frankenstein?

Keegan: Of course.

Pete: Did you enjoy it?

Keegan: Absolutely.

Pete: Well, what would you say if I told you that we could live in the world and context of the story of Frankenstein?

Keegan: I would say that might be the worst idea you’ve ever had, and you’ve had some doozies.

Pete: What—why?

Keegan: Because the downfall of Victor Frankenstein and his creation is due to Frankenstein‘s blind ambition. His alienation from his fellow man. His belief that he, a mortal man, could triumph over nature.

Pete: Oh. That.

Keegan: Have you read Frankenstein? Its subtitle is “The Modern Prometheus” for a reason, bro.

Pete: Yeah, but it’s been awhile. And that was one scientist. One creation. One pitchfork-and-torch-wielding mob. A tempest in a test tube.

Keegan: Yeah, but it did not work out well for the test tube. Or the tempest, actually.

Pete: Well, what if I told you I had an off-brand but essentially Frankenstein-type, app-driven narrative game titled My Father’s Work (2022) by T. C. Petty III and published by Renegade Game Studios that actually had little glass test tubes as game components?

Keegan: Wait—really?

Pete: Well, there are more “vials” than “test tubes,” but they’re made of glass.

Keegan: Will they shatter if I bust them on the ground?

Pete: Yeah, but they’re easy to replace with a small purchase at any number of fine online retailers. You, you know, at our local chemical supply shop the next time we need to restock our embalming supplies to handle our next graveyard acquisition.

Keegan: You should’ve led with that. I’m into it.