Link Steam
indiegame.fan
Zantar & Other Stories header art

Zantar & Other Stories

Acclaimed artist and solo developer Mitchell F. Chan tells six funny, gripping, and heart-breaking stories about a fictional video game, the ambitious CEO driven to make it the most valuable platform in the world, and the would-be millionaires who are pulled into its orbit.

Steam Page
Developer
Mitchell F. Chan
Publisher
Mitchell F. Chan The Corporation
Release
Coming Soon
Steam Reviews
No reviews yet

Does this feel indie?

Vote based on whether this game feels indie to you. You can change your vote at any time. Results earn an IGF score after 10 accepted votes.
No votes yet
Vote on More Games
Game contextLatest: IGF Team
ContextThe evidence factors used to assess whether this game belongs on IndieGame.Fan.Status
Notes
Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes
Search Google: Who developed Zantar & Other Stories?Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer.
Search Google: Who published Zantar & Other Stories?Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher.
Search Google: Is Zantar & Other Stories self-published or published by Mitchell F. Chan The Corporation?Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified.
Search Google: How is Zantar & Other Stories and Mitchell F. Chan The Corporation funded?FundingThe known source of funding behind the game.
Search Google: Who controls the creative direction and IP for Zantar & Other Stories and Mitchell F. Chan?Creative controlWho appears to retain creative control of the game.
Search Google: What is the release status of Zantar & Other Stories?Release statusWhether and how the game has been released.

Media

6 items

About the Game

Zantar is a gelatinous cube that eats warriors in a medieval village. Whenever it eats a chieftain, you ascend to a higher level.

In this anthology of short interactive stories and mini-games, acclaimed artist and solo developer Mitchell F. Chan tells six funny, gripping, and heart-breaking stories about this fictional video game, the ambitious CEO driven to make it most valuable platform in the world, and the would-be millionaires who are pulled into its orbit. As Zantar pulls in more and more users, its ruleset and logic starts leaking out into the real world. The only way to escape? Keep playing.

WHAT IS THIS?

Six Short Stories

Each episode in this anthology takes between 15 and 30 minutes to complete – perfect "short game" experiences that weave together the story of Zantar, a fictional piece of software that aims to redefine the worlds of gaming and finance. Developer/writer Mitchell F. Chan has previously been written for publications such as Artforum, Outland, and The Pembroke Observer.

Six Unique Minigames

The tragic story of a livestreamer bound to produce an infinite stream of content is dubbed over an endless runner game with unusual scoring mechanics. In another episode, a Survivors-Like shoot-em-up slowly morphs into a tragic story about a remote gold-farming operation. Zantar and Other Stories eschews the typical walking-simulator and dialogue-menu structures of interactive fiction, in favour of unlocking the storytelling potential of different gameplay mechanics.

Six Works of Art

The works collected in this anthology have been exhibited at galleries, fairs, and museums around the world, including Nguyen Wahed in New York City, Frieze Seoul, and the 60th Venice Biennale. "Exhibition Mode" turns your gaming monitor into your own personal art gallery, displaying these internationally acclaimed artworks as screensavers when you're not playing.

Indie Game Fan