What’s In a Game? Psychonauts Part 1 (Introductions)

header — “What’s In a Game” is a brand new series where I try to rationalise the appeal of my favourite games by meticulously dissecting them. Expect interesting correlations, personal anecdotes, and bold steps outside the comfort zone of a typical review.

I’m really throwing myself in the deep end here. Psychonauts is my favourite game. I can’t help but write about it in some capacity anywhere I go. It’s like an affliction that I can’t get rid of. It’s the equivalent of a celebrity crush. I even have the signed poster on my wall, and if you know me in real life, I’ve probably pestered you about playing it.

Of course, those savvy in the world of Psychonautica may be quick to point out that as a fan, i’m currently living in a very fruitful period. 10 years on, Double Fine are currently working on 2 new Psychonauts titles, VR adventure “The Rhombus of Ruin” and the hotly anticipated Psychonauts 2. The latter i’ve already dropped an undisclosed amount of money on during the fundraising campaign, and the former being the key reason I might just have to fork out and get a PSVR.

You see, games like Psychonauts don’t just come around out of nowhere. Before I dive deep into this game, it’s probably for the best you understand how it came to be. Luckily for you, the ever-incredible 2 Player Productions pieced together a revealing retrospective documentary about it’s inception, which you can watch above. If you have any interest in the behind-the-scenes aspect of the games industry, it’s worth your time. For me at least, it’s like going into Skywalker Ranch and seeing how the galaxy came together.

Psychonauts is essentially the brainchild of Tim Schafer, at a time in his life where he had everything and nothing to prove. He had just exited from a secure position at Lucasfilm Games, where he was at the helm of a long list of extremely successful titles. We’re talking the Monkey Island series, Grim Fandango, and Day of the Tentacle. Career-defining games that still stand the test of time.

Regardless, he decided to set up his own company to retain his creative vision, as Lucasfilm moved away from the adventure game market and into more profitable genres. Thus, he had to hit it big with his first stride. Born out of a scrapped Peyote hallucination sequence in Full Throttle, we have Psychonauts.