In an odd turn of events, it seems video games have finally gotten film adaptations over the past few years that aren’t the products of nightmare fuel ( I’m looking at you, 1993 Super Mario Brothers). With both Sonic films grossing over $300 million at the global box office, the new Mario animated film crossing the incredible billion dollar mark, and both films doing relatively well on the critical side of things, it has led studios across Hollywood to jump on the trend of turning all our beloved IP’s into summer blockbusters — something that, though exciting, must be taken with the utmost of caution.
From Netflix reportedly getting the rights to Bioshock, to Jason Blum’s Five Night’s at Freddy’s adaptation starring Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games) and Matthew Lillard (Scream) supposedly around the corner, it looks like we gamers are going to see our feeds flooded with the characters we’ve grown up with being played by whichever movie star Hollywood thinks will draw the biggest crowd — so basically, Tom Holland. However, with all the IPs I’ve seen be tossed around the rumor mill, most of the games that have seemingly garnered interest from film executives are of the AAA variety.
This obviously makes sense given how certain franchises already have a considerable fanbase, which would inevitably translate to ticket sales. Though, narratively speaking, I personally feel that there is far more potential on the indie side of the game’s industry that could prove more interesting in terms of being films. Independent studios, much like the film industry, are often detached from the constant focus-testing and executive meddling that comes with the production of bigger budget titles. As such, this allows for creators to be just that: creators. That doesn’t always pan out, of course, but when it does it has led to some of the most inspired and riveting stories I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing through the medium of video games.
There are dozens of indie titles that deserve the spotlight, but for the sake of this article’s word count (and my sanity), I’m going to focus on three games that I feel would make feature films worthy of every critic award under the 35mm sun. These are titles that all use the medium of video games to tell their emotional and thought-provoking narratives effectively, however, would also translate to terrific films if done right.
Spiritfarer – The Tear-Jerker
The little things we do every day, and the connections we make along the way — that’s the ongoing theme of Thunder Lotus Game’s narrative-driven resource management game, Spiritfarer. The game puts you in the shoes of Stella, a ferrymaster whose task is to fulfill the final desires of quirky characters before taking them off to the Everdoor.
Spiritfarer is propelled by its wonderfully fantastical yet human characters, each of whom have their distinct stories and proper narrative arcs. I was brought to tears each time I had to say my final goodbye to a character, even the ones that had annoyed me to no end. Due to its dialogue driven story, I can easily see this game translating perfectly to film. Though I’d prefer to see it as a miniseries to allow each character their time in the sun, I can also see a scenario where the number of characters are cut to five or six, so to still be able to do the story and themes justice.
Animation would likely be the best course of action if a feature film were to be made, seeing how a live-action adaptation could pose difficulties with VFX and prosthetics as all the characters are some fantastical being or another. Not saying it couldn’t be done, it would simply require a good amount of talent and, of course, money. Either way, this beautifully touching game has the potential to be made into a film that resonates with audiences across the globe.
InMost – The Psychological Horror
Inmost is a game about grief. It’s a game about dealing with the heaviness of loss, guilt, and pain. This is a masterful piece of art that utilizes the medium of video games to tell a harrowing, gut-wrenching story about how a family deals with tragedy; doing so through its gameplay and an almost oppressive, yet beautiful, pixelated art-style. Hidden Layer Games have made a game that is equally unnerving as it is poetic, and have carved this story about mental health with the utmost of care; a story that if made properly into a feature film, could be talked about in the same breath as the Babadooks of the world.
However, where Spiritfarer is rife with dialogue, InMost is a near silent experience, telling its story through gameplay, music, and environmental design. This can prove to be a challenge when crossing mediums to film, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be done. Plenty of movies in the post-silent film era have told narratives without the utterance of a word. Films like Agnes Varda’s Vagabond and the many works of Ingmar Bergman, for instance, come to mind. If anything, in the hands of the right director (Kogonada, director of A24’s After Yang, for instance) the film could be an enthralling audiovisual experience that tells the story aptly through the language of cinema.
Citizen Sleeper – The Intimate Sci-Fi Thriller
My first ever article for GameLuster was a piece about a little tabletop-inspired narrative RPG made by solo developer Gareth Damian Martin and his studio, Jump Over The Age. Citizen Sleeper is a game that has stuck with me ever since I randomly downloaded it through Game Pass last year. A game that has made most of the other science fiction stories I’ve consumed since pale in comparison as far as writing goes. Where most sci-fi understandably focus on world-building, lore, and grand storylines, Citizen Sleeper tells a much more human story, keeping the wider mechanics of its universe in the distant background as its characters struggle through their everyday.
To steal from myself, here’s a quick excerpt from my piece last year: “Citizen Sleeper tells you from the onset that the primary objective for your character is to get off this space station and escape. But the more you play, the more you connect with these characters, and the more you get acquainted with each section of this station to the point where you know it like the back of your hand, you come to realize that the ‘objective’ is to…be. To allow yourself, and fight, to exist.”
Tonally, I feel this story would fit right at home with the likes of a studio like A24. Moreover, if given a decent budget, a feature film could bring out the world of the game in ways that the game itself couldn’t do due to the confinements of its genre (and, of course, budget). The characters have so much heart, and I’d love to see Lem, Mina, Emphis, and all the others be brought to life by talented actors. Though a live-action adaptation would be great, I can also see it go the animated route with an aesthetic by the likes of a Cyberpunk: Edgerunners — albeit far less frenetic and action-packed, obviously.
What are some indie games that you think would make a great film adaption? Let us know in the comments below!
