Thirty Flights of Loving

Thirty Flights of Loving: A First-Person Adventure That Will Make You Think

Imagine a game that can take you on a journey through the mind of an unnamed spy in just 15 minutes. Thirty Flights of Loving, developed by Blendo Games, does exactly that. This first-person adventure video game was published for Microsoft Windows in August 2012, OS X in November 2012, and Linux in December 2021. It’s an indirect sequel to Gravity Bone, featuring the same unnamed spy as the main character. But what makes this game so special?

Developed as part of a Kickstarter campaign, Thirty Flights of Loving uses a modified Quake II engine and incorporates music by Idle Thumbs member Chris Remo. The game received generally favorable reviews, scoring 88 out of 100 on Metacritic.

The Gameplay

Thirty Flights of Loving is estimated to take about 15 minutes to complete. It’s a first-person adventure with non-linear storytelling that follows three people preparing for an alcohol heist and its aftermath. As the unnamed spy, you work alongside Anita and Borges, who are non-playable characters providing objectives and guidance through object interactions.

The game begins in a small corridor where it explains the gameplay elements. Then, it jumps forward to introduce Anita and Borges on a plane before moving to their deaths. The player then joins Anita in a dark room peeling oranges before attending a wedding. During the wedding, Anita gets drunk while the rest of the characters dance and fly across the room. The game continues with the player leaving an airport carrying Borges, followed by a gunfight sequence. Finally, the player is moved to the motorcycle sequence, where the game ends.

The Development

Blendo Games, led by Brendon Chung, developed Thirty Flights of Loving as part of a Kickstarter campaign for Idle Thumbs’ podcast in February 2012. The game was initially conceived as a prototype for Gravity Bone but was scrapped due to being ‘too dialogue heavy.’ It was revived after the successful Kickstarter and completed within three months.

The development process involved using various tools such as Blender, Audacity, and Adobe Photoshop. Chung aimed to present the criminal nature of the group through environment design and avoided voice-overs. A system for automating non-playable characters was also developed. The game’s levels were designed from research, with the final level modeled after the French National Museum of Natural History.

Interestingly, a first-person meal simulator was initially planned but scrapped in favor of a motorcycle sequence. The gunfight scene was intended to have a musical rhythm inspired by Koyaanisqatsi and Baraka. Thirty Flights of Loving is Chung’s seventh ‘Citizen Abel’ game, with the previous games coded between 1999 and 2004.

The Source Code

One of the most intriguing aspects of Thirty Flights of Loving is that its source code has been released under version 2 of the GNU General Public License, making it free software. This means that anyone can access and modify the game’s code.

The sixth game in the series, Gravity Bone (2008), became the first to be published, and its creator stated that every game he produced takes place in the same shared universe. This interconnectedness adds a layer of depth to the narrative, making each game part of a larger story.

References and Easter Eggs

Thirty Flights of Loving is filled with references and Easter eggs from various sources such as films like Three Days of the Condor and The Conversation, games like Zork and Saints Row: The Third, and animated shows like Animaniacs and TaleSpin. These inclusions add a layer of complexity to the game, making it more engaging for players who are familiar with these references.

The game was announced as part of a Kickstarter campaign for Idle Thumbs’ podcast in February 2012, and early supporters received an exclusive ‘Goldblum mode’ that replaced the character model with ones resembling actor Jeff Goldblum. This level of community engagement is what makes Thirty Flights of Loving stand out.

Conclusion

Thirty Flights of Loving is a game that challenges you to think and experience a story in a unique way. It’s not just about the gameplay or the narrative; it’s about the journey and the questions it leaves you with. As you play, you can’t help but wonder what exactly is happening and why. This game is a testament to the power of video games as storytelling tools.