Developed by two guys with no prior game development knowledge, Arik Zurabian and Edo Brenes, Dude Where Is My Beer? is an idiosyncratic point and click game filled with pop-culture references.
Dude Where Is My Beer? tells a simple yet hilarious story. Every interaction never fails to make you smile. The journey begins on a long bus trip with a man who has been granted a 30-minute rest stop. He is after a beer, but not just any beer, a Pilsner. A beer that is so common you would think it would be available absolutely everywhere. But alas, that is not the case, and you quickly learn there is something sinister going on behind the scenes in the town.
The beer expedition takes you to countless distinctly styled bars. You will crawl through the finest sports bars, dive bars, rock bars, and even an Indian-inspired bar. Each bar has its own unique hand-drawn aesthetic which stands out no matter what bar you are in. Even the streets of Dude Where Is My Beer? are a sight to behold. Using tones of red and grey, it is a beautifully hand-drawn game that compels you to look in every direction to take it all in.
“The beer-o-meter is an excellent and defining feature of the game’s success.”
This ties in perfectly with how you play the game. In Dude Where Is My Beer? exploring is pivotal. There will be times when you are completely lost. So looking around and clicking everything is your only solution.
Dude Where Is My Beer?‘s control scheme is simple yet effective. Click a verb, then click what you want to do. Some combinations result in humourous outcomes, or even new items to add to your inventory. But some verb and noun blends don’t work until you have had a little bit more to drink.
Dude Where Is My Beer? includes a beer-o-meter which helps you keep track of your level of intoxication. The beer-o-meter is the game’s headline feature, altering gameplay based on how much alcohol you have consumed. While sober, you are like any person born in the technologically developed world; you have social anxiety. You can’t just go and communicate with a random person at a bar or on the street without at least having a beer first. After your first beer, you become tipsy and get that confidence boost you need to complete tasks. Finishing off a second beer only enhances your risky behaviour allowing you to do some things, you absolutely would not do without alcohol.
“Dude Where Is My Beer? is not an easy game.”
The beer-o-meter is an excellent and defining feature of the game’s success. Dude Where Is My Beer?‘s inclusion of measuring inebriation elevates the game to new levels. I found myself trying everything more than once in order to try to receive different outcomes. It is amazing what you can do with a bit of alcohol in you.
Each bar in the game offers its own individual sounds to compliment the art style. The rock bar filled with men who either have skulls on their body or their shirts, is paired with a fitting hard rock song while the bartender laughs at you for wanting a pilsner. Another bar is hosting trivia and is filled with muffled discussions to emulate what a real trivia game would feel like. Every now and then you can hear a clear “Caroline” being spoken, which also feels realistic as there is always that one person in the group who thinks they know all the answers.
“Some items are completely useless.”
Dude Where Is My Beer? is not an easy game. In fact, if anything it would be the hardest click and point game I have ever played. The game points you in vague directions and does not offer you much help in where to go. Thinking outside the box is a must and if you can’t work it out, you might be in a bit of trouble. Your only option is to lower the difficulty and speak to the game’s hidden mascot for hints.
Inventory management is essential, as well. Some items can be changed if you use different verb commands and other items are completely useless. Once you pick it up, there is no way to remove it either. It is stuck in your inventory for the rest of the game. This is good for some things, but I do not need the skeleton of a fish, do I?
*Disclaimer: Reviewed on Steam, Code was provided by the developer
