Failbetter Games‘ casual browser-based game Echo Bazaar is coming to Facebook. Described in The Guardian as “a beautifully moody and lusciously written faux-Victorian game,” Echo Bazaar takes place in an alternative 19th-century London that exists a mile beneath the surface of the earth. Fallen London is a place where, in the words of EB’s creators, “laudanum-sipping hedonists rub shoulders with romantic devils and rubbery squid-men. Echo Bazaar is an unholy combination of casual browser game, choose-your-own-adventure book, and quasi-steampunk MMO.”
The game’s 10,000-plus users have taken the world of Fallen London into their hearts, creating fan fiction communities and themed parties. One mysterious player even runs a dedicated Internet radio stream called Radio Free Neath. As reported previously here at ARGNet, the world of Fallen London came to life in An Expedition with Mr. Mirrors at the Victoria & Albert Museum in the real London, part of Hide&Seek’s Sandpit Night. It was a delightful experience and smashing success, based on informal reactions from participants.
Players may already be familiar with how Echo Bazaar uses the Twitter authentication protocol to link players to the game, and to each other. At the end of this month, the game will open its doors to new online audiences through Facebook. Echo Bazaar will not be an application within Facebook itself but will use Facebook Connect to provide an alternate entry into the game and maintain a Facebook Fan page where some in-game content will be streamed.
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