50s Housewives Turn into Zombie Hunters in Aberford

Yesterday, I came across a game I never thought would exist. Get ready, because bewilderment may ensue.

Here is your pop quiz for the day:

Housewives + 50s + Zombies = ?

A) A new show titled Desperate Housewives of the Post-Apocalypse

B) Middle-aged zombie housewives

C) Aberford

Kudos if you claim A or B, but the answer is C. Sketchy Panda Games, an up-and-coming indie studio, is developing a game that combines zombies with your typical 1950s housewife.

Introducing Aberford, an action game with a central focus on plot. In the game, you play through the stories of four housewives who fight to protect themselves, their friends, and their families from spreading virus. Keep in mind that the game is set in 1950s, and so it will revolve around the culture and values of that particular time period.

Here are your four protagonists:

Peggy Whitman - Former Professional Baseball player, current housewife and lousy cook, with the pet peeve of being told "Girls can't do that."

Betty Smith - Aspiring Tupperware Saleswoman, housewife, and a nurse with the pet peeve of seeing "blood on the God-damned carpet."

Doris Baker - Former airplane riveter, current housewife and waitress with the pet peeve of "Having to tell people twice."

Sylvia Hornberger - Former scientist and current housewife with the pet peeve of "People. All of them."

Of course, there will be new characters introduced in future expansions.

As for gameplay, there will be a focus on melee combat with combos, utility skills, and intelligent counters. The game will also feature "large doses of dialogue options, character interactions, quick time events, and other structures to help you dig into the rich story we've created for the 1950s zombie apocalypse."

To avoid becoming just another zombie game, the team wants to avoid cliches like magical death chainsaws, waves of easily slaughtered zombies, and "buckets of gore to hide crummy art." Not only that, but the team wishes to create a relatable, human story that explores the "tragedies and injustices" in the lives of the four housewives. Zombies are, unfortunately, just part of their personal issues.

There is no specific release date yet, as the developers are preparing their Kickstarter Campaign. However, you can receive notification when the Kickstarter Campaign appears by signing up for e-mail notifications on Sketchy Panda's website. If you want to know more about the game in the meantime, you can refer to their Tumblr FAQ.

This game appears to be very interesting in concept, so I am very much looking forward to see the potential it brings to the table.