Tell me more ×
Arqade is a question and answer site for passionate videogamers on all platforms. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 8 down vote favorite

In Gamer Mom is it possible to convince at least one member of your family to play with you? How?

share|improve this question
This game is extremely depressing – Ben Brocka May 26 '12 at 17:41
@BenBrocka: And you probably haven't even started reading the source code yet. – Joe Wreschnig May 26 '12 at 19:40
Oh wow. The source code (js) is at adventure.gamism.org/gamer_mom/gm.js if anyone was wondering, it's well commented too. – Ben Brocka May 27 '12 at 1:37

3 Answers

up vote 3 down vote accepted

So I've been looking through the source code of this game for a while now, and I think I've found out how to beat the game, although it's probably not what you're expecting. There may not even be a true way to 'win', just various different endings. Spoiler alert:

In order to "beat" the game, no one else in the family will actually play WoW. The mom will just think that she's persuaded the father, and will leave the table happily (when in fact no one may really be interested).

Here is the process:

  1. ...it might just fix everything!
  2. go for it
  3. Repeat
  4. Continue
  5. this could work
  6. Introduction
  7. Chapter 1: My Friends
  8. Rethink approach
  9. Engage them in chitchat
  10. School (x4)
  11. Work (x2)
  12. i think it might be safe to ask
  13. I'll just ask.
  14. Be Subtle
  15. They need more fun
  16. Give up
  17. He's Interested! (x2)
  18. Set up the game
  19. <3 (x2)
  20. Set up the game
  21. <3

You can, in fact, get the dad to play (which if I think may be what you are actually asking, forgive the above), but his phone will ring and he will leave the game no matter what you do:

  1. ...it might just fix everything!
  2. go for it
  3. Repeat
  4. Continue
  5. this could work
  6. Introduction
  7. Chapter 1: My Friends
  8. Rethink approach
  9. i think it might be safe to ask
  10. I'll just ask.
  11. Go all in
  12. Present the vision
  13. Don't slow down!
  14. "big"
  15. We'll start on Thursday
  16. Get out now
  17. Run!
  18. Avoid them until Thursday

After this point, no matter what you do, the dad's phone will ring eventually and he will get up and leave.

The author of the game left a lot of comments (some very personal) in the javascript code of the game, almost like diary entries. The quote he left when you get the "heart" ending of the game is what led me to believe it's the game-winning ending:

/*Kyler entirely changed the meaning of this ending: I had intended it as one of the most depressing endings, and he turned it into the most hopeful. The way I pictured it, the husband and daughter are just stunned at her sudden energy. The running, the whisper and the kiss all seem from their perspective to be coming from out of nowhere. So there would be this dissonance between an adorably cute little heart-button, and the visual of them holding blank expressions on their faces. She runs out of the room thinking she's managed to pull the family together, and actually no such thing has happened. But Kyler chose to take the cuteness at face value, and I'm not arguing with him because it's a valid interpretation and god knows the game could use some cheering up. As an amateur actor myself, I respect the pursuit of personal interpretations. Maybe there's hope for this family after all! */

share|improve this answer
up vote 1 down vote

I haven't managed it yet. I've been playing for ages...it's really irritating.

I almost got the husband to play once, but then the daughter told him not to give in to my "crazy" demands.

I've taken to just smacking the husband repeatedly since I can't win.

share|improve this answer
I believe it is supposed to be possible though. – Sean May 25 '12 at 10:37
do you remember your approach to get the husband to play? I have a feeling you need both approaches to win. – PileOfDuty May 25 '12 at 18:29
Be wary of the ending where it sounds like you'll get the husband to play, but in the end you just run off leaving him baffled. (You'll recognize it as ♥.) – Joe Wreschnig May 25 '12 at 18:56
It is possible according to the code... In case you were wondering: this is not a trick puzzle. There is a way to get them to play. Found in the HTML, dunno how to actually get it to happen – Ben Brocka May 27 '12 at 1:35
I had that In case you were wondering pop up after a few tries of playing (around 5 in a row). – PileOfDuty May 29 '12 at 19:49
up vote 1 down vote

Skip all the small talk, go all in, pitch the big vision, wait til next Thursday, and avoid them til then.

share|improve this answer
Do you have a more specific list of choices to make? I wasn't sure which choices to make at a couple points with this advice and couldn't get them to play – Ben Brocka May 26 '12 at 20:04
Yes, I do, but I think it spoils it to give the answer explicitly as a set of steps. You need to ignore the main small talk and just click "I think it might be safe to ask" and don't lose any momentum. – Jimmy May 27 '12 at 15:47
Not losing momentum just leads to "stop acting crazy" and another failure – Ben Brocka May 27 '12 at 16:31
That means you've picked options aside from the main track. You need to click 'I think it might be safe to ask' immediately. Then, ignore every possible option not related to plunging forward. Use "Don't slow down" and "We'll start on Thursday." – Jimmy May 28 '12 at 1:50
oh wow, this totally worked. But I can't figure out how to keep him playing. – PileOfDuty May 29 '12 at 19:45

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.