Playing Kafka

Playing Kafka is an adventure game that explores the themes of alienation in modern society and unresolved family issues. It is based on the works of the famous absurdist writer, Franz Kafka, and was created with the help of leading Kafka experts. In the game, you find yourself arrested one morning for no apparent reason and must navigate through a series of challenges and puzzles to uncover the truth and escape your father's oppressive presence.

The game features a fully voiced branching story, adapted from three of Kafka's works: The Trial, The Castle, and Letter to His Father. As you progress through the game, you will encounter atmospheric puzzles, make fateful decisions, and engage in a drag and drop gameplay that brings the characters and environments to life. With approximately 1.5 hours of gameplay, the story is constantly evolving and keeping you on the edge of your seat.

There are three chapters in the game, each based on one of Kafka's books. In The Trial, you must navigate through an opaque legal trial and try to avoid being sucked into a web of perplexing bureaucracy. In Letter to His Father, you will explore Kafka's tense relationship with his father and try to find the right words to come to terms with his upbringing. And in The Castle, you will work as a land surveyor in a mysterious snow-laden village, where nothing is as it seems and the elusive Castle looms in the background.

Playing Kafka was developed to commemorate the centenary of Kafka's death and was created in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut, Prague. The game also has a Chinese language version, which was initiated and supported by the Czech Centre Taipei. With its unique and thought-provoking gameplay, Playing Kafka offers players a chance to delve into the mind of one of the most influential writers of the 20th century and experience his works in a whole new way. So, can you manage to win an unfair trial, escape your father's crushing presence, and unravel the mysteries of the Castle? Play Playing Kafka and find out.