Say No! More: An Indie Game that Gives You the Power to Say No! More
Ask any corporate employee what the most-used word in their dictionary is, and the answer will be “Yes.” Today, we have a culture of saying “Yes” to everything. Even when we don’t consent to it or we are unsure if we’d like to do something, we give the default answer as “Yes,” especially if the person making the request (or giving the order) is the boss.
This constant barrage of requests and orders, followed by incessantly saying “Yes,” has left millions of employees around the world completely disgruntled and burnt out. Until we rediscover the method and the benefits of saying the occasional “No,” we really won’t be able to help ourselves in any way.
This is where the game “Say No! More” comes in. It is a game that is designed to help us do just that – say “No” to people who expect too much of us.
Empowerment comes in the form of a single-button game
CEOs, managers, and supervisors exert unbearable levels of stress on interns, getting them to do things that aren’t part of their job descriptions. From doing multiple coffee runs in a single day to picking up their weekly dry cleaning to spending hours copying documents that no one even reads, most of us have gone through the excruciating experience of being interns and new joiners.
But who amongst us has had the courage to refuse orders?
Say No! More is a quirky and super-fun game by Thunderful Publishing and Studio Fizbin that puts power into the hands of the powerless. It is a colorful and invigorating game that allows people to exert their opinions through a resounding and timely “No!”
Video Source: Youtube/Say No! More
How to play the game?
This is a single-player game that starts with you building your own character. You can choose from a variety of features and ethnicity to bring your character to life. Once you do this, the game starts.
Your character is put into an office environment where you’re the intern, and there are evil bosses haranguing you constantly with annoying requests. These requests and orders are extremely realistic – something that you’ll most likely have encountered at your own workplace.
To complete the game, you have to successfully face your biggest fear – refusing an order from a superior. Every time you are asked to do something, the game requires you to say “No.”
At the outset, your “No” is very small and feeble. But as you refuse more demands, your “No” becomes louder and more powerful. So, from a timid “No” to a wall-breaking, tear-inducing “No,” you’ll be able to experiment with a variety of intonations and expressions in a matter of minutes.
Players are also tasked with picking up different mixtape cassette tapes that are strewn across the office. With each cassette tape, you unlock new music that will energize and motivate you on your quest to say “No.”
There’s also a Coach/Expert in the background who gives you tips about when and how to say “No.” If you fail to refuse an offending demand made by a boss, the Coach gives you motivating hints that help you stand your ground.
Important features of the game
- Say “No” to any employee – from peer to CEO.
- Make friends with peers and juniors during lunchtime.
- Annoy colleagues by saying “No.”
- Boo seniors who irritate you.
- Interrupt your boss’s order with funny noises like “Ah” and “Hmmm.”
- Clap and jeer at your supervisors.
- Chase people who annoy you.
- Physically push and fight with colleagues and bosses.
- Throw away and scatter files, boxes, and other office objects.
- Say “No” in multiple languages, and using numerous intonations.
- Charge your “No” power and say a louder and more impactful “No.”
Thunderful Publishing and Studio Fizbin are in the process of developing more fun features for the game. These features are expected to be released in 2020.
When silliness leads to learning
While Say No! More feels like a childish game that you’d play to give vent to your workplace frustrations, it’s more of an empowerment tool that seeks to educate. The objective of the game is to help you discover that hidden, courageous, and unfettered version of yourself, which will allow you to stand up for your rights at the office.
Lead designers of the game, Nick Maierhöfer and Marius Winter, stated that the inspiration for the game came from their own lives. Unable to say no to unanticipated orders and requests, Maierhöfer and Winter felt powerless at work. Say No! More is their ideal, “ultimate power fantasy” that gives them the opportunity to say “No” whenever they like and as loud as they want.
So, go ahead and try this inspired game. Who knows, it may help you say that long-awaited “No” in reality.
