Introducing 011, a game and art project combined

Paolo Vallerga has released a number of games through his own company Scribabs that pay as much attention to the graphics and art as they do to the game design, Star System or Sator Arepo Tenet Opera Rotas being two such examples.

The next release from Scribabs – due out in October 2011 at Spiel, with rules in German, English, French, Spanish, Italian and Dutch – will feature another blending of art and design: 011 from Marco Valtriani. Here's an overview of the game: "011 is a study of 1800s esotericism in a steampunk setting that involves the Swedish symphonic metal band Therion." And in case that summary only whets your appetite, here's a longer write-up:

Quote:

011 is set in a ucronic time, during an undefined "year 011". The world can be described as an alternate version of the 19th century. Science is deeply bound with esotericism, as many religions and creeds coexist with philosophies and convictions in a cauldron of cultures and ideals that is both challenging and frightening at the same time.

Events take place in Turin. Turin, everyone knows, is a magical town. To be precise, Turin has the highest concentration of mystical energies on the whole planet, as it's the only city belonging to both the black magic triangle – with London and San Francisco – and the white magic triangle, with Prague and Lyon.

A cold and long winter is raging: Three years ago the snow started to fall and never stopped. The Fimbulvetr of the Norse legends is ending and so Ragnarök is coming. Eight brilliant scientists discover the lost tome of the "Edda", which explains that the only way to stop Ragnarök is to discover a man whose future is completely obscure, a man called the Chosen One. The Chosen One must play a Mystical Song with the magical Pipe Organ hidden somewhere in the city, or the world as we know it will end.

But Ragnarök can also be a new beginning for the righteous ones! One of the investigators opens his soul to Fenrir's spirit, and from that moment he works in the name of the Wolf God to discover the Chosen One. Killing him will let Ragnarök start and will grant to this man an eternal life in the Gimlé!

How does Therion tie into the game? The members of the band, including founder Christofer Johnsson, play the part of protagonists in the game, and they're so involved that in June 2011 they will create a video – written by Paolo Vallerga and made by Silos Production – in which the band performs as their alter egos in the game.

You can read a longer game preview in Italian on Gioconomicon.net.