Plenty of games feel like passion projects, but few are able to project the sense that they were a joy to make quite as well as Once Upon A Jester.
In the spirit of improv, as noted by the developers in the recent Indie World showcase, the dialogue used in the game is often the first take. Some lines have cracks of laughter during bad puns, exaggerated voices feel invented on the spot, while the delivery can fluctuate on a whim. It’s loose, silly, and charming even when it doesn’t quite land, like you’re in the company of mates trying to make each other laugh via the dumbest means possible.
Improvisation can easily become self-indulgence, yet the approach here works because it’s baked into the mechanics. Once Upon A Jester is mostly structured around interacting with characters in an area, like a seaside port or a forest, and performing shows to earn flower bouquets for progression. While mingling among citizens, dialogue symbols pop up to indicate the genre the audience that day will and won’t respond to, from romance to horror, action, drama, and others.
After you’ve chosen a scenario, the show can begin. At numerous points throughout, you’re given a choice on how you want to progress the story, whether it’s adding a love interest, a dramatic plot twist, or jumping into a musical number. These are tied to different genres, so you’re rewarded by meeting and executing on the wants of the audience.