Frank and Drake

Imagine having a roommate you could never meet, but whose life choices profoundly affect your own? In Frank and Drake, you will be doing just that. Frank is the superintendent of an apartment building, whose low energy prevents him from staying up late at night.

Drake is his new roommate, who is unfortunately allergic to sunlight. Due to Frank’s inability to be up at night, and Drake’s inability to be out during the day, they never meet.

Despite this, contact with each other is essential. They develop a unique way of communicating with each other through post-it notes, and together embark on an adventure. The game is mainly told through point-and-click style exploration, as well as mini-games that help illustrate the characters more.

Play both characters

By day you play Frank as he works his job around the apartment, and by night you play Drake. The choices you make as you play each character will affect the other. The game works somewhat like a visual novel, with multiple endings possible depending on what choices you make.

Each character has a unique view of the world, and works to uncover the mysteries of the city they both live in. They pass on whatever clues they discover through sticky notes to each other, their only source of communication.

Unique art and animation

The game features traditional 2d art style, with a unique hand drawn animation style. The animation jitters with each motion of the character, subtly drawing attention to its hand drawn nature. The backdrops are moody, and the world is richly developed.

Inspired by Frankenstein and Dracula, Frank and Drake’s world allude to these backdrops throughout the game. The game is visually similar to The Artful Escape, but fantasy version instead of sci-fi. The fictional city the characters live in, Oriole city, is itself full of secrets to be unlocked. You can find them by exploring both by day and by night.

Lots of mini games

On top of the cutscenes and choices you make, there’s also a variety of mini games you can play. These include things like putting an animated dog’s run into the correct sequence and fixing an old man’s oxygen tank. These games help show how Frank is an expert at working with machines, as well as other important details about the duo’s strange life. As the game progresses, it becomes obvious that the characters are more paranormal than normal, and they work to discover what this could mean for their future.

It’s difficult to say for sure how good this game will be until it is released, but it’s obvious this game is a step above the usual visual novel. The developers have made an effort to change how these games are done, with two separate characters having a hand in the path you take.

Pros:

• Beautiful artwork
• Interesting plot
• Impactful choices

Cons:

• Unknown