Everyone knows the basic story of Pinocchio, the wooden doll who became a real boy who went in search of adventure and found trouble instead. The story was originally published as The Adventures of Pinocchiowritten by Carlo Collodi in 1881. However, the story entered the public domain in 1940, giving creators like Disney the ability to use the story without fear of violating copyright laws or paying for a license.
lies from P by Neowhiz and Round8 is a dark, violent retelling of Pinocchio in the form of an indie video game, in which players navigate a hostile world as a “doll mechanic” in search of a way to defeat Mr. Find Geppetto and become human. Familiar characters such as the blue fairy and Jiminy Cricket can be found in the game’s action-packed trailer, covering gaming and Pinocchio fans enthusiastic. But why stop at? Pinocchio? There are many popular stories that have entered the public domain, and several of them have video game potential.
Peter Pan (Published: 1911)
JM Barry’s Peter Pan isn’t as childish as Disney’s 1953 adaptation, which everyone knows and loves. In the original story, the title character kills the Lost Boys growing up (while seemingly forever young in the movie), Wendy Darling is nearly killed when shot with an arrow (it doesn’t hurt her in the movie), and Captain Hook is eaten by the crocodile (this is only implied in the movie when he is chased off screen, never to be seen again).
A video game version of Peter Pan has a lot of untapped potential, and it can go in several different directions, from a carefree Disney-esque version of the story to something darker and more in line with the original story. Imagine exploring a dark, gritty open world Neverland as a maturing Lost Boy trying to find his way home to avoid being killed by Pan, while dodging pirates and natives. With a touch of darkness, Peter Pan could really shine as a video game prospect.
Grimm’s Fairy Tales (Published: 1812)
The original collection of fairy tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm is the basis of many of the popular stories we know today, from Cinderella until Hansel and Gretel until Rapunzel. And while many of these stories have dealt with adaptations that have “cleaned” them, they were originally dark and twisted stories. Since the stories are in the public domain, it begs the question of what a video game developer could do with them. What might work is a mash-up like Kingdom Hearts, a game in which Disney characters converge and players must navigate a world of horrors and bizarre characters around every corner. With so many stories to choose from, the possibilities are almost endless.
The Fall of the House of Usher (Published: 1839)
Edgar Allan Poe’s 1839 short story, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” tells the story of an unnamed narrator who visits his old friend, Roderick Usher, the last of his family, only to discover that the man is mentally deteriorates because he believes his dead sister is buried alive and comes back to haunt him. As the story progresses, the narrator seemingly becomes the victim of foil a deux, a phenomenon in which a person takes over the symptoms of a loved one’s mental disorder. In the case of “The Fall of the House of Usher,” many of Roderick’s symptoms point to paranoid schizophrenia, but the story can also be told in a different, more literal light.
A story as disturbing as “The Fall of the House of Usher” just begs to be adapted into a video game similar to the Resident Evil or last longer franchises – one in which the ghosts Roderick fears are real, and nothing, not even the character’s senses, can be trusted completely. In an adaptation like this, players would find themselves having to save their friend from the curse of the Usher family, while surviving the horrors it brings.
Mark Twain’s A Dog’s Tale (Published: 1904)
Different from the dark horror of The lies of P is from Mark Twain A dog’s tail, which chronicles the tragic life of a St. Bernard/collie mix as she faces loss in a cruel human world. The story is depressing, but if it’s modified in a game, that can change, just like The lies of P took liberties with Pinocchio. Potentially, this game could tell the story of a dog trying to find its place in the world, and with the overwhelming praise attributed to games like strayed, there’s no doubt it would be a hit. Since the player would travel the world as a dog, this opens up possibilities for inventive challenges, moves and gimmicks, such as those seen in strayed.
Arthurian Legends (published: about 1135-1139)
With the success of games like Elden Ring and skyrim, it’s hard to believe that a decent medieval knight RPG wouldn’t be successful. An open world set in England during the Middle Ages, with a main campaign focused on finding the Holy Grail and completing side missions, would have a lot of potential, especially if run by a studio like FromSoftware. It could be something like Assassin’s Creed meets Elden Ring in nature. On another note, the story could be adapted to modern times, putting a new spin on the legends that inspired so many of the stories people still tell today.
While there’s no telling where the video game makers will eventually take us beyond what’s already been announced around the world, there’s no doubt that there’s a lot of well-known public domain source material available to experiment with. While some stories may not be obvious contenders for video game adaptations, The lies of P shows how much creative freedom can be taken to turn a familiar story into something entirely new and unique.
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