Narrative Bites: Titanium Court and Fae Reimaginings

I should disclaim that this is the first Narrative Bite about a demo. I think it’s also the first actual Narrative Bite—good job, me, I didn’t turn this into a whole Thought! But yes, as such, I can’t speak to the entire game because, well, I only played about two hours (which, really, should’ve taken an hour but I dissociated) and the full game isn’t out yet. I feel the haphazard energy I’m approaching this one is in line with the tone of the game.

Titanium Court is a surreal, weird, bizarre, and delightfully odd little guy of a match-3 game. (There are more mechanics and gameplay design choices to it than that, but that’s the core loop function.) 

You are the (mortal, human) Queen of the Tungsten Titanium Court, which is managed by Puck—though all his lovers and friends call him Goodfellow. Your Court maneuvers through the Tide, match-3 levels with various phases to them. There’s more to that, the gameplay is so bizarre and I think I love it? It’s hard to say, and that’s by design.

Anyway, it’s probably one of the sillier 90s surreal pixel graphics fae court inspired games and narratives. Titanium Court knows it, too, and is often self-referential or fourth wall breaking. The tutorial helpfully interjects to you in humorous ways like a nonsensical and ambiguous Clippy.

I think retellings and reimaginings get mixed up a lot, adaptations of stories and myths constantly remixed and retold (especially Greek and fae-related). I love a retelling that changes up core elements of a story but keeps some spirit or element true, be it yearning or knightly loyalty or the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the wise—wait, that last one not so much. Well, hold on, maybe I meant that last one in that I also like when classic stories, archetypes, mythological figures, etc., are remixed in new and strange ways. Titanium Court scratches that itch while also providing match-3 and pixel art nostalgia, it’s a fun combination that got me pondering (briefly; again, it was a demo).

So give me more strange remixes, faithful adaptations that update some core things, more Clueless level reimaginings, if you please. Oh yes, and less make them less Western and white. Doing that on a gaming level would be so fun.

(Actually… there are a fair few mythological retellings and reimaginings in games, now that I’m pondering! Perhaps fodder for a future Narrative Thought. I promised I would keep it short this time!)

If you want to tell me your favorite retelling or reimagining video games (think Hades/Hades II), you can do so over on my Patreon (I’m sorry I’m but one chronically fatigued cryptid and can’t moderate blog comments, this is how I curate a bit)!