You Should Be Excited For Habromania
Do you like classic childhood stories and fairy tales with a dark twist? When I ask myself that question, I think of all the cash grabs that attempt to “ruin our childhood” by desecrating the wonder and whimsy that made those stories captivating in the first place. Examples of this are the Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland movies, which are mostly dark and edgy instead of colorful and fantastical in the way that the original children’s story was. There’s been an indie game in development that captures the original Lewis Carroll playfulness while also adding in a bunch of darker subject matter involving war and mental illness. This mix of tone and the very eye-catching art style by Sydney Collings makes for something truly special to look forward to this upcoming Halloween season.
I should preface this by saying Habromania is not out yet. In fact, it doesn’t even have a Kickstarter. So why am I talking about a game that isn’t available yet? The reason is simple: it’s an awesome original indie concept.
Right before we get into more about Habromania and the creative process behind it, there will be spoilers for the game from Collings’ Instagram and Youtube channel. If you want to go into the game completely blind and unaware of all the darker details, this is where you get off.
Spoiler Warning for Mania of the Habro Variety
Habromania started off as nothing more than sketches and concept art created by someone attached to the Alice in Wonderland world and all its wackiness. What started out as just any other set of drawings in a notebook turned to something she could never imagine. She began posting her art on Instagram and Youtube, in the form of short animations, GIFs, stills, and slideshows. It immediately began to attract a small cult following, and people that fell in love with Collings’ style started to clamor for more Alice.
It wasn’t just the art style itself that made so many people interested, though. It was the underlying mysterious, dark tone that seemed to hint at something deeper than what happened in the original children’s story. Within the art itself, there were clues revealing pieces of information about war, mental health, murder, drugs, and so much more. However, if that makes you roll your eyes and say, “So it is just another attempt to ruin a beloved children’s book,” I ask you to hold your horses. I believe there’s a certain level when it comes to desecrating the original author’s work, and I don’t think Habromania does that in the slightest. In fact, I think Collings does her best to preserve the work and build on it in her own modernized way.
First off, many indie games are notorious for using colorful, funny characters to distract from a more serious, grounded plot. A few notable examples are Omocat’s Omori and Toby Fox’s Undertale, as well as his more recent project Deltarune. These games all utilize cute characters and vibrant settings to bring the audience into a false sense of what they think the game will be about, but they can still tell there’s something darker going on beneath the surface. Maybe not immediately, but as they continue playing and they meet more of the characters in their respective titles, the bigger picture slowly begins to open up. For example, I direct you to one of Omori’s trailers, where it starts off extremely happy and playful, only to devolve into utter madness by the end. Need I remind you that Habromania is a type of madness?
Okay, so maybe that doesn’t really mean all too much by itself. So what? Omori and Undertale aren’t based on any old books, so they can’t necessarily detract from any kind of source material. Despite that, this shows the kinds of indie games that make it big. People gravitate towards artistic ambition, small teams with vision that have a unique style and a sense of direction with their worlds. Anyone can openly see Collings’ portfolio on her site, and she’s even published her own story, LOVEBITES, a webtoon focusing on a post-apocalyptic setting where four kids must survive the dangers of this new, broken world. She’s an experienced storyteller and artist. She knows how to blend the darker aspects of a story with the more lighthearted ones. She was able to raise over 26,000 dollars for a graphic novel print of LOVEBITES, proving that a lot of people were itching to support her creations even though she’s so incredibly young (21 years old, at the time of writing). I think it’s safe to say that she has the creative drive and potential to really knock this game out of the park, along with all the other people helping her out on the project.
In just a few short weeks, Habromania will have its first chapter realized as a demo on Steam for free, so if you want to check it out, that’s the way to do it. If you still aren’t sold after seeing her art, animations, and previous work, then experiencing it for yourself is the best way to do it. Concepts are one thing, anyone can talk about how much potential something has, but it’s a whole separate matter when the time comes to actually see the finished product. Despite all of that though, I’m excited to see it all come to fruition. Following this project for so long has allowed me to see it evolve from a concept to an actual game, and that’s the most delightful part about it all.
As a creative myself, I often cook up cool ideas in my head and never actually turn them into anything more than notes on a page or scribbles in a sketchbook. It takes a lot of motivation, dedication, and diligence to craft something special that you really want to share with the world. With all that said, I recommend you look out for the Kickstarter that’ll be up by the end of the month, too. Once the demo is out and the game starts getting some more traction, I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of high-profile Youtubers and content creators pick it up just to experience its whimsy and wonder(land). In an industry filled with greedy executives and rushed projects, I’m thankful that there are still people out there like Sydney who are creating not just for the cash, but for the sake of creating itself. Habromania isn’t an industry plant, nor is it an attempt to attract fans of the original book to squeeze their pockets dry. It’s a story she wants to tell for herself, and one that we’re lucky enough to share with her.
Not only will I be happy to finally play a game that I never thought would actually be made, but I’ll be even more satisfied knowing all about the love being put into it.