Thursday, January 03, 2013

I'm Dead, but Eli made it to Memphis

Backwards day dinner was breakfast, of course, in-between hockey practices.

"So I don't have enough supplies if I carry a four-man party," Eli 11.5 said, glued to his phone. "What if I just shoot them at the beginning?"

"Ouch," I said. "That's grim, although I'm not sure there's a disadvantage to doing that."

"I'm keeping you alive, Dad," he said. "For now."

"That's all I can ask for," I said. "Although if I get dysentary or a broken leg, you might as well pull the trigger."

Organ Trail is our latest game (iOS and Android), and we're both playing it on our respective devices. It's basically Oregon Trail with zombies, although this version is both very retro (visually) and very, very clever (in general). And it's hard, because surviving a zombie takeover and making it from Washington, D.C. to Oregon alive is supposed to be hard.

"Okay, I have get past a massive zombie horde," Eli said, looking at the screen. "What should I do?"

"Are they docile?" I asked.

"They are for now," he said.

"I'd try to sneak past then," I said. "I normally don't pull out weapons unless they're at least alert."

The entire game is a lesson in deprivation. Not enough food, not enough fuel, not enough ammunition. A crappy station wagon that's always breaking down.

The best part of Organ Trail is that you can make every strategic decision correctly and still lose. It's like being an adult, basically, but with zombies added.

"Uh-oh, Dad," Eli said, laughing. "Bill has dysentary."

"Don't miss when you shoot me," I said.

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