With the “visual novel” or “interactive fiction” genre expanding by the day, finding something palpably different is a Paul Bunyan-sized endeavor. So the claim that Dim Bulb Game’s Where the Water Tastes Like Wine has done something utterly new and different with the narrative RPG feels like a tall tale until you let yourself be taken by its incredibly unique take on storytelling and adventure.
In WTWTLW, you turn tales of intrigue, loss, and wonder into a sort of currency to talk your way through the game, all while examining an expansive and enrapturing reinterpretation of American folk telling. In the tradition of movies like Big Fish and hand-me-down stories like that of the Jersey Devil, WTWTLW gleefully blurs the line between reality and fantasy. It tells its own myths while paying hefty homage to the many legends that have come to define the blue collar fiction of Americana. And it does so with an excellent soundtrack by Ryan Ike, voice work by Melissa Hutchison (Telltale’s The Walking Dead), Dave Fennoy (Telltale’s The Walking Dead), and Sting, and top notch writing from the likes of Leigh Alexander and Cara Ellison.
Check this trailer to set the mood:
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine hits Steam today. If you need help preparing for your journey through the dusty trail of American folk fiction, come to the Official Where the Water Tastes Like Wine Wiki!