Step into the virtual world of 'Façade,' a groundbreaking interactive AI-based experience where your every word shapes the destiny of a troubled couple. As their friend, navigate the delicate balance of relationships through real-time conversations, unraveling a narrative that responds to your choices.

Plot

Tonight, you are invited by your friends, Grace and Trip, a married couple living in an apartment. Even though the atmosphere seems friendly at first look, as the evening progresses, tensions arise, and you become embroiled in the complexities of Grace and Trip's relationship. It's important to note that Façade is more of an experimental and artful exploration of interactive storytelling rather than a traditional game with objectives or challenges. The gameplay is centered around the player's interaction with the characters and the resulting impact on the narrative, making it a unique and pioneering experience in the realm of video game storytelling.

Gameplay

Interactive storytelling: The central focus of Façade lies in its innovative interactive narrative, where you take on the role of a friend visiting the apartment of a married couple, Grace and Trip. From the moment they welcome you into their apartment, you can communicate with them through text-based inputs and shape your own story.
Lively environment: The journey occurs in real-time in a 3D virtual apartment. You can freely explore the space, interact with objects, and observe the characters' reactions to your actions.

Natural language processing: The innovative aspect of Façade is that it takes advantage of AI-based natural language processing systems to interpret and respond to your input. For an optimal experience, ensure you don't misspell words or use the word "melon" unless you want to be thrown out of their apartment.
Dynamic story development: The narrative of Façade can take various paths based on your choices and interactions. For example, you can let them talk to each other and ask questions occasionally, try to make a move on one of the characters, or anything else you want. In return, your friends can offer a satisfying range of emotional reactions and interpretations.
Player agency: The game offers a sense of player agency, allowing individuals to explore different conversational paths and make choices that impact the unfolding narrative. The consequences of these choices can lead to various endings.

Graphics and sound

It features a relatively simple and stylized graphical presentation. The game uses a minimalist aesthetic, with basic 3D models and textures for the characters and the apartment environment. The characters, Grace and Trip, have a cartoonish appearance, and the overall visual style leans more towards abstraction than realism.

It also emphasizes sound and voice acting to enhance the overall experience. The game features voice-acted dialogue for the characters Grace and Trip, and their performances play a crucial role in conveying emotions, reactions, and the overall atmosphere of the narrative.

Even though the game does not look realistic (and it does not want to), the final result is strangely immersive, and you'll find yourself naturally talking with the characters.

Duration and game modes

Façade offers a single-player experience you are likely to finish in approximately 30-40 minutes straight. Still, there is more than meets the eye, so you should try innovative things with the different characters and see the surprising results.

What do the reviews say?

It's an indie game from 2005, so there are no official reviews of it. However, Façade is held in high regard for its experimental nature and attempts to push the boundaries of interactive storytelling in video games through AI. While it may not have achieved widespread commercial success, it is often cited as a noteworthy and influential example of the potential for interactive narrative in gaming.

Moreover, the game has been downloaded over 5 million times and was described as "the future of videogames" by the New York Times. Façade won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2006 Slamdance Independent Games Festival.