Kudos is a video game developed by British-based Positech Games (the makers of Democracy). Its gameplay is very similar to games like The Sims. The game spawned a sequel, called Kudos: Rock Legend.
In October 2008, a sequel to the game Kudos 2 was released, featuring much improved character art by comic artists Jamie McKelvie.
Gameplay[ | ]
The basic principle of Kudos is that the player controls a 'virtual life' for ten years, starting at age 20, and ending at age 30. An accelerated calendar system plays out each day of those ten years (with only actually 7 days in each month). During each turn (which is a single day, or half-day at weekends) the player chooses from a range of solo and social activities, and responds to phone calls from his friends regarding social invitations. The key to the game is that every single decision the player makes affects multiple aspects of their personality, mind and body, so that (for example) going bowling may improve their fitness, their happiness, and reduce their level of energy, as well as having other subtler effects depending who else attended the event, and the characters 'state' when they embark on the activity.
Relationships[ | ]
Another aspect of the game is the relationships of your character. You normally start the game with four "friends." They will offer you social interactions, and will be more likely to accept your invitations. To please or purposely anger someone, invite them to a social event that has one or more of their interests, or one or more of the opposite. For instance, if they like sports, then take them to the opera! Social interactions boost or lower relationships, and also give you possitive or negative effects. Like:Playing Golf:Golf experience, -energy, if win +confidence, if loss -confidence, +excitement, etc.
-Getting Intimate- Even though you may not move in, get married, or have children, you can start "dating." Essentially, this is just a heart next to your partners picture, and boosted confidence and happiness, plus less loneliness. If you go on a social event without your partner, even if it's just with the "guys," then your relationship will go down. With "dating," comes the social interactions, Candlelight dinner, and romantic movie, plus you can buy gifts for your partner at varrying prices. If you want, you can dump your partner, or they can dump you.
Modding[ | ]
Kudos 2 was designed to be extremely easy to mod. Unlike many video games that require 3D editors and complex tools, any player of the game can carry out easy user mods using just a word processor or simple text editor to change the values in the games many configuration files. Much of the game is stored in 'comma-separated value' (csv) files.
Design[ | ]
Kudos 2 is a game designed around a 'holistic' theory of personality and development. The game assumes that all external stimulus affects many aspects of our attitudes, personalities and even our health. The game allows the personalities of your friends to influence you in positive and negative ways. Everything down to even which TV channel you watch has effects coded into it so that your character becomes truly the sum of their experiences and the decisions they have made.
Funding[ | ]
Kudos 2 is an independently made and sold PC game, meaning it was not funded by a large publishing company which provide the funding and distribution for most PC games. The game is sold through a number of on-line 'portals' such as gamersgate and stardock's Impulse system.