We all know the trope: you were about 11 years old, and you had that one friend who claimed he had an uncle who worked at Nintendo and that that’s how he had all this inside information and goodies from the world of gaming.
But what if the uncle really existed? Worse, what if the “uncle” is really a malevolent entity that devours kids– kids like you!
Written by Michael Lutz and illustrated by Kimberly Parker, The Uncle Who Works for Nintendo is a horror-themed interactive fiction game that you can play for free on your browser. It doesn’t take a very long time to play. You’re the 11-year-old protagonist, spending the night at a BFF’s house, when you learn that the BFF’s mysterious uncle who works for Nintendo is coming over at midnight. As hours tick by on the grandfather clock (have your sounds on when you play!) you determine how you interact with your BFF and slowly uncover pieces of the mystery surrounding this uncle. There are five possible endings to the game; once you achieve the fifth ending you learn how you can unlock the epic sixth (“real”) ending.
Once you “beat” the sixth ending, you unlock the author’s notes, in which Lutz talks about what inspired him to make this game, how the game accidentally wound up being topical in the midst of G*merg*te, what the “uncle” might symbolize, some history on Creepypasta, and so on.
I don’t want to spoil too much about the game’s story (if I haven’t already) but I can see how the “uncle” might be interpreted as the darker side of game addiction. Have a look for yourself and see, if you like.
Mistletoe Ethaniel's Blog 