Fear and Loathing in the Kingdom

As I write this, I am still recovering from ear surgery. It’s called a Mastoidectomy revision, because somebody forgot to turn the revision marks on last time. So, my left ear throbs a bit and it’s hard to concentrate. I have this week at home in order to relax and not think about my incredibly itchy ear canal. All together now: ewwwwww.

Anyway

This is me, currently outfitted as a frat-douche in order to end a war between frat guys and hippies.

I’ve been playing The Kingdom of Loathing a lot. This web-based, online role playing game is what happens when you strip out all the crap and pretense, but keep all the snide, smart ass player comments. You know, they’re that ones pouring out of seasoned D&D players after that second margarita.

It’s very fun; everything is depicted as stick-figure art, which surely keeps the art asset costs low. This is okay, because the primary draw is the writing. It’s very funny, and includes contact lens losing vampires, an order of Pasta wizards, and a seal clubber class. Right now, I’m wrapping up an intense island war between frat guys and hippies.

It’s hilarious and free, so go play it.

You get a fixed amount of adventures (turns) each day, but this is modified by the food you eat and the booze you drink. Don’t imbibe too much, though, or you’ll be unable to perform, just like real life. Then, we can just cuddle.

The obviously simplified art shines a very bright fuck-you-and-your-fancy-graphics light on every RPG out there. The quests and puzzles feel more involved than any of those, too. And the whimsy! It’s so whimsical that it’s whimsicalicious with whipped whimsy on top.

And it’s over eight years old, so it has a following. I’ve already donated $10 because it’s given me at least that much enjoyment. It struck me as little more than a gag, but then I played. The complexity of the system dawned upon me, then I came to appreciate the largeness of the joke.

If you jump in, look me up.