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The Life and Times of Daniel Vastberaden

Daniel Morris Vastberaden first died on December 22nd, 1862. The following thirty-nine years of his life are the subject of the (pseudo)biographical point-and-click puzzle adventure The Life and Times of Daniel Vastberaden.

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January 2, 2025
1 year and 212 days ago
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7 user reviews7 reviews71.4%

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About the Game

The Life and Times of Daniel Vastberaden (p. 1906) is a biography of the New York mechanical engineer and inventor written by author Bernadette Brooks. The book is notable for the first public discussion of Daniel's beheading and his miraculous survival in the winter of 1862, which he had concealed from all but two people until his second death in 1901. It primarily focuses on his home life, family, and philosophy, and features many excerpts from his diary, the main source of Bernadette's research.

This adaptation follows the 1913 publishing, the last to keep mention of homosexuality and to maintain its biographical status, with all later printings being labeled as fiction. Chapter introductions feature an abridged excerpt from the book, and chapters are largely in the first-person. Chapters can be played in any order, and can be skipped. Collect and use items, solve puzzles, carry conversation, and don't be afraid to use your head.

Features include:

  • Eight engrossing levels and an epilogue (2+ hours expected play time)

  • Casual yet challenging puzzles and minigames

  • Multi-generational story about love, loss, and secrecy

  • Unique gameplay mechanic: use your head as an item to solve puzzles and access new areas of the house

This is a work of fiction. Although in biographical form and referring to real-world locations, phenomena, et cetera, any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Er os ger ziim, er os ekvexr vokk zi.