The UK based independent game developer Nyamyam have announced Astrologaster, a narrative-driven comedy game based on a true story, is now available for iOS devices on the App Store® for $4.99 USD/€5,49/£4.99. PC and Mac players can wishlist Astrologaster on Steam ($9.99 USD) which will launch on May 9. To set the stage of what’s in store for players, Nyamyam created a trailer for the title:
Astrologaster is a story-driven comedy game set in Shakespeare’s London based on a true — and truly ridiculous — story. The player takes on the role of Dr. Simon Forman, who used astrology to diagnose and treat his patients’ various maladies. Will he earn a medical license through these, ahem, unconventional practices? Will you the player win over his patients by reading their fortunes, or will you ruin their lives?
“We’re extremely excited to release our independently made comedy game on the AppStore! Bringing this bizarre side-note in history come alive, as a historic period comedy game, was a rewarding experience. Simon Forman and his casebooks were a treasure trove of odd, hilarious and at times alarming problems and treatments. Using Forman’s practice as a lens to satirize contemporary social and political themes of today, such as gender politics, unionization, BREXIT and the entertainment industry, was an absolute pleasure,” said Jennifer Schneidereit, who founded Nyamyam and is creative director on Astrologaster. “I’m extremely proud of what our dev and research team were able to accomplish and we’re looking forward to releasing Astrologaster via Steam next week, so all the PC fans can chart the stars for Dr. Forman’s patients.”
Nyamyam’s founder and creative director, Jennifer Schneidereit, conceptualized Astrologaster after attending a workshop and was by chance partnered up with Dr. Lauren Kassell, a professor of History of Science and Medicine at the University of Cambridge. The two discussed the notorious astrologer Dr. Simon Forman and his 30,000+ casebooks and patient records. Forman’s patients’ problems painted a vivid portrait of Elizabethan London, and Schneidereit was fascinated both by the doctor’s ambition to become the Queen’s advisor and his unusual cases. Inspired by the wealth of hilarious source material and with the help of Kassel’s research team, Schneidereit aimed to create a British-style comedy, and narrative experience that would involve practicing real astrology as an accessible gameplay mechanic.
