Trago

I don't think it's a spoiler to tell you that Juca dies at the beginning of Trago. That's not only our first introduction to the gin-loving hero of the piece, but also one of the dark and violent mysteries that surrounds this Brazilian dive bar. It's the first sign that we're going to need to pay close attention and make our choices carefully in order to solve the riddle and, more importantly, keep a very drunk Juca from being brutally murdered at his favorite watering hole. That's the intoxicating premise behind the brand new drinking simulator Trago from SpaceGiraff3, an oddity that might just win you over with its intriguing murder mystery and attractive price.

Trago is a game about making choices and living with the consequences. It stars Jacu, who we're told is a hardworking guy who has a real hang-up about dealing with the troubles back at home. He spends every night going to a local bar named Trago, where he meets a perplexing young bartender who hints at the secrets lurking just below the surface. Jacu just wants to drink, but it won't take long before he's thrust into the middle of a conspiracy much more dangerous than anybody could have predicted.

The story is split up into four separate episodes, each with their own mysteries to solve and different paths to take. Like I said at the top, we're introduced to this concept by seeing Juca killed. We then go back to Thursday, where it suddenly becomes clear that we need to find the right path in order to keep Juca alive and crack the case. In a sense it's like Groundhog Day, where we're constantly repeating the same four days in order to find the right combinations and get the best ending. But just like Bill Murray discovered back in 1993, that's easier said than done.

The gameplay is actually pretty simple and is split up into only a few activities. One of the main things you do at a bar is, well, drink, and that's presented here in a fun little typing mini-game. The idea is to type out the correct letters in order to take a shot, with the grouping of letters growing as you get more intoxicated. This gives our hero the courage to talk to the bartender, call his friends or watch soccer on the television. Everything you interact with can (and will) change the story, so you'll need to play through the four episodes multiple times in order to see all five endings.

I'll admit, it took me a few plays to wrap my head around Trago. It's one thing to say that every choice matters, but it's not always clear what all you can do in each episode. It's easy to only scratch the surface of what you can do or discover, and part of the fun comes from realizing you've been looking at these episodes all wrong. Needless to say, this type of game isn't for everybody.

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For as much as I liked what Trago was trying to do, there are a few things that left me with a bad hangover. For starters, the typing mini-game is a little too simple for its own good. It only uses the W, A, S and D keys, so there isn't much variety in the letter groupings. You have a full keyboard full of letters, so it would have been fun to work out real words or sayings. I was hoping it would be like Typing of the Dead with alcohol instead of zombies, but it's really nothing more than a bunch of quick-time events.

It's also a little disappointing that each episode takes place at the same exact location. There are subtle changes -- what Jacu is wearing, what you can interact with, who is around -- but nothing dramatically different. It would have been fun to see other parts of the bar or giving us a little more variety. The same goes for the dialog and limited story choices, two things that all but force you to see the same conversations and plot points repeated multiple times. It doesn't help that much of the game is purposely vague, forcing you to repeat days multiple times in order to find the proper path to take. It's an interesting idea that doesn't always translate into an engaging game.

Although it won't be for everybody, there's an intriguing little mystery buried away in Trago. It's the kind of game you'll need to play multiple times in order to not only see all of the endings, but also wrap your head around what's really going on. Unfortunately, the compelling conceit is marred by a limited drinking mini-game and a whole bunch of obscure clues. I don't know if I would have liked it more after a few drinks, but Trago gets a mild recommendation from me.