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May 03, 2022

AREA MAN LIVES is out May 12th on VR from That Dragon, Cancer developers and published by Cyan

From Press Release:

SPOKANE, Washington, May 3, 2022

Numinous Games, the studio behind the award-winning game That Dragon, Cancer, are excited to announce the release of their new VR-only video game experience: AREA MAN LIVES.

AREA MAN LIVES is a groundbreaking virtual reality experience, featuring the voice talents of actors Max Greenfield (New GirlThe Neighborhood), Joel McHale (The SoupCommunity), and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ronan Farrow.

This quirky VR adventure mixes comics with radio dramas in a video game you can talk to. Through innovative speech detection, players star alongside the celebrities as a speaking character within the game, having unscripted conversations with characters who speak back to them.

Spin a record, interact with objects in the radio station’s DJ booth, even record a commercial… but when things get super weird, don’t forget to save the Area Man!

The game is an official selection for the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, and will be available for purchase beginning Thursday, May 12th for $19.99 USD. The game will be available in the Meta Quest Store, the Meta Rift store, Steam, and on HTC Viveport.

AREA MAN LIVES has been created in association with Cyan Ventures and CityLights.

Additional Details

  • The developers refer to the game as an “inside-out radio drama” because the player stays in the radio station and hears the story play out in the world outside the station, allowing them to imagine all the madcap details.
  • ​​The Area Man (Max Greenfield) can die in 98 hilarious ways, all expertly reported on in-game by Ronan Farrow.
  • Narrative-based puzzles require players to use items inside the radio station to impact the world outside the station and, hopefully, save the day.
  • Press Statement from Max Greenfield: “This is the first video game I’ve ever acted in, and I could not have asked for a better experience. AREA MAN LIVES has such an imaginative, hilarious script. I think it’s going to be totally different from anything currently available in virtual reality. And people get to kill me in 98 amusing ways, so who wouldn’t want to do that?”
  • Press Statement from Joel McHale: “This game is funny. I don’t think that’s something that happens in video games too often. It’s a great, great time. I’m excited for everyone to play it. Everyone, I say! AREA MAN LIVES is going to take people(and possibly house pets) by surprise. It might be the reason parents steal their kids’ VR headsets for the first time (I encourage this.) And I’m not on Cameo so this may be your only opportunity to chat with me on the phone (including my family.)”
  • Press Statement from Ronan Farrow: “I’ve been banging the ‘games as art’ drum since I was a nerdy kid and now, as a nerdy adult, I feel vindicated by the work of Numinous Games. I thought That Dragon, Cancer was a milestone for what games can be about, so it was a thrill to be a part of AREA MAN LIVES – and that was before I saw how crazy and inventive and funny this game is. There’s nothing else like this out there. Play it if you’re into innovative VR games that tell immersive stories. Or honestly just play it for the raccoons.”
  • The developers have surprising stories of how the world of AREA MAN LIVES has come to life for them during development and how the strange coincidences they encountered inspired the creation of AREA MAN LIVES.
  • The developers aspire to bring the intimacy they are known for from That Dragon, Cancer into the comedic experience of AREA MAN LIVES and have stories of how they connect the themes of the two games in unexpected ways.

About Numinous Games

Numinous Games is a BAFTA and The Game Awards winning indie game studio, best known for developing That Dragon, Cancer. They are looking forward to releasing their first comedic game to a wider audience. You can learn more about Numinous Games in the “About The Developer” section of the press kit, linked below.

Relevant Links 

AREA MAN LIVES is available for purchase or wishlist here: