Summary

Release Year: 2010
Genres: Indie, Puzzle, Simulator
Platforms: PC (Microsoft Windows)
Developers: Stout Games
Publishers: Stout Games

Dinner Date: A Unique and Thought-Provoking Experimental Game

Dinner Date is a short, experimental first-person computer game made by Dutch game designer Jeroen D. Stout. It was first released digitally through Stout Games own website in October 2010. Four months later (March 1, 2011) it was released on Steam. Just like some other indie games (e.g. Dear Esther or The Graveyard) its status as a video game has been disputed, as it requires minimal interaction and the few small choices you make are of no consequence to the story. It does, however, give the player the opportunity to eat, drink and smoke whenever the player wants to, as long as the time isn’t up.

The game takes place in a single room, a dining room set for two. The player character is seated at the table, across from an empty chair. The only other objects in the room are a candle, a bottle of wine, and a pack of cigarettes.

The player is free to do whatever they want in the room. They can eat the food, drink the wine, or smoke the cigarettes. They can also just sit and stare at the empty chair. There is no goal to the game, and no way to win or lose. The game simply ends when the player runs out of time.

Dinner Date has been praised for its unique and thought-provoking gameplay. It has been compared to other experimental games such as Dear Esther and The Graveyard, but it also has its own unique identity. Dinner Date is a game that is sure to stay with you long after you finish playing it.

Gameplay

The gameplay of Dinner Date is very simple. The player character is seated at a table, across from an empty chair. The only other objects in the room are a candle, a bottle of wine, and a pack of cigarettes.

The player has a limited amount of time to play the game. The timer starts when the player sits down at the table, and it counts down until the player runs out of time. The player can see the timer in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

When the timer runs out, the game ends and the player is returned to the main menu.

Analysis

Dinner Date is a game that is about waiting. The player character is waiting for someone, but it is never clear who they are waiting for or why. The player is free to do whatever they want while they wait, but there is no way to speed up the time.

The game’s minimalist setting and gameplay create a sense of isolation and loneliness. The player is trapped in a room with nothing to do but wait. The only other person in the room is the empty chair, which represents the person that the player is waiting for.

Dinner Date is a game that is open to interpretation. It can be seen as a metaphor for life, or for the human condition. It is a game that is sure to stay with you long after you finish playing it.

Conclusion

Dinner Date is a unique and thought-provoking experimental game. It is a game that is about waiting, and it can be seen as a metaphor for life or for the human condition. Dinner Date is a game that is sure to stay with you long after you finish playing it.