"There's nothing worse than waking up to the same bad dreams as ever, watching the last of your money pour out of you in a yellow stream and remembering the only reason you got to sleep at all last night was the amount you drank beforehand."
Piss is an adventure game created by Ben Chandler as part of a collection briefly available in Summer 2012. The game is available free
, having been shared by Chandler via Dropbox.
Piss follows the story of Moira, a mercenary with a severe drink problem. Haunted by dreams, and desperate to forget and dull the pain of her past, she’s aimless and depressed, her only motivation seemingly to gain money to buy more alcohol. But her story becomes far more complex when she finds out that her latest client never intended to pay her, has recently died, and has taken the money he owed her with him to the underworld (on purpose). Moira is furious and determines to attempt to reclaim her money, even if it kills her. On the way more and more of the circumstances that drove her to be the way she is are revealed as she is forced to face her demons and haunted past.
Piss contains examples of:
- The Alcoholic: Moira is an extreme example, she regularly drinks so much she sometimes even forgets who she is, and mentions she can't sleep at all unless she's drunk.
- Broken Bird: Moira is depressed and guilt-ridden due to having made a tragic error in her past, and seems completely unable to move on or forgive herself. It's to the point where she suffers from chronic insomnia and gets drunk whenever she can just to repress her memories, dull her pain, and be able to actually get some sleep. Even when she does sleep, she suffers from a recurring nightmare that leaves her sweating and shivering in fear.
- Cry into Chest: Not shown, but Moira admits to this after she remembers and faces what she did, she is comforted by Ixele. Also Astis to Moira (mentioned in retrospect) when Moira found her bleeding and beaten in an alley and took her home to help her recover.
- Cynicism Catalyst: The tragic event in Moira's past that she can't even remember because of all the alcohol she consumes.
- Deadpan Snarker: Moira can have this attitude, especially when frustrated
- Double-Meaning Title: While only a minor and very brief part of the game, it's one of the few games that acknowledges the characters do need the bathroom sometimes, in addition being "pissed" is also slang for being drunk...or sometimes angry..Moira frequently and deliberately gets drunk, and also gets very angry at not receiving her money which is what triggers her to set out on her journey in the first place.. she also refers to some of the cheap alcohol she buys as tasting like piss.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Why Moira drinks so heavily.
- Emotion Suppression: Moira has a hard time with this, she cares about her friends but is too afraid and doubtful of her own self worth to let them close. She realises Astis is in love with her, and secretly loves Astis as well, but is very reluctant to admit it even to herself and even strays into outright denial at times, resulting in confusion and pain for both of them.
- Fiery Redhead -While Moira is not as explosive as some examples, she does have a temper, and those who trigger it certainly get to know about it too (at least when she catches up to them) Also mentioned in retrospect by one of her friends Yktor, who is now a city guard but used to work with Moira as a mercenary.
- Functional Addict: Despite her severe drink problem Moira seems to function well enough (around the times she is drunk out of her head) to maintain her job as a mercenary. .
- Heroic BSoD: Moira used to work for a mercenary company and was well liked, good at her job, and happy, then the incident happened and she still hasn't come back from the despair event horizon years later
- Hitman with a Heart: As a solo mercenary for hire Moira is sometimes required to kill people, but has a strong reluctance and aversion to harming the innocent and it's shown that she does have a conscience and sense of morality.
- Hooker with a Heart of Gold: While the term is not stated outright, it's pretty obvious that Astis is a sex worker. She also has a very gentle and sweet, and generally cheerful personality, and is one of the nicest characters in the game. She is also one of only three people who genuinely care about Moira, and is trying to look out for her.
- I'm Melting!: Happens in one scene, the person involved gets better though.
- It's All My Fault: When she finally remembers Moira feels this way about what she did. Turns out it was only partially her fault, she did commit the crime, but she was lied to and tricked into doing so
- Knight in Sour Armor: Moira is very cynical, but still tries to help people and do the right thing on her journey, despite her own troubles, and she does care about her friends even if she still pushes them away.
- Love Confession: It depends on your choices but in one optional scene, Astis will outright tell Moira that she loves her. Moira is very conflicted but clearly has feelings for Astis too, but whether or not she will actually admit it, remain non-committal, or(gently)tell Astis to forget her and move on, is up to the player. If you do return the sentiment, Moira gets anxious as to whether she should have said it back, but admits that it isn't a lie.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Pretty much Moira's reaction when she first realised what she'd done, which is what pushed her over the Despair Event Horizon and started her alcohol problem.
- My Greatest Failure: An odd case as Moira can't actually remember what happened (at least not consciously) for most of the game due to her excessive drinking, but she does remember that she did something terrible, and is still subconsciously aware of the incident, hence the recurring nightmare and feelings of guilt.
- Named Weapons: Moira's sword is called "Keith".
- Nobody Poops: Averted as the main character is using the bathroom (offscreen) at the very beginning of the game.
- Old Shame: Even if she can't remember exactly what, Moira is aware she did something terrible and is guilt-ridden and self loathing as a result. She is suffering from depression, and possibly a form of PTSD as well, and tries to numb herself and cope by drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.
- One-Word Title: As a Double-Meaning Title at least: While only a minor and very brief part of the game, it's one of the few games that acknowledges the characters do need the bathroom sometimes, in addition being "pissed" is also slang for being drunk...or sometimes angry. Moira frequently and deliberately gets drunk, and also gets very angry at not receiving her money which is what triggers her to set out on her journey in the first place.. she also refers to some of the cheap alcohol she buys as tasting like piss.
- Our Zombies Are Different: There are zombies in the game, but they are not the dangerous flesh eating kind, or infectious, they are fully cognizant, can move around normally (body condition on resurrection permitting), and maintain their original personalities and memories. The ones you talk to in the game at least seem quite amiable.
- Scrap Heap Hero: Moira views herself as this, and even says as much to Yktor. Yktor, however, disagrees.
- Self-Inflicted Hell: Whatever it was she did, Moira has done a very good job of punishing herself for it ever since.
- Shout-Out: To the Fallout franchise, interestingly enough. If you have a bottlecap in your menu and you examine it, this is what Moira has to say:Moira: "God knows I've seen enough of these bottlecaps to last me a lifetime. If these ever became currency, I'll have enough laying around my place to make me rich."
- Straight Gay: Neither Moira nor Astis fit any particular gay stereotype.
- There Are No Therapists: Apparently not, given how Moira's distress and mental torment is very obvious to her friends but nobody even mentions therapy and she is not given/offered (and doesn't even think to seek) any professional help for what seems to be a mixture of depression and PTSD. Her friends want to help her and try to support her, but she keeps them at arms length and is reluctant, even afraid, to let even them get close to her... subverted eventually. Ixele is not a therapist by profession or qualification, but basically takes on this role in an effort to help Moira overcome her pain and guilt and move on with her life.
- Tragic Mistake: Moira made one, and it's the cause of all her anger, guilt, and alcoholism.
- Vigilante Woman : Mentioned in retrospect. When Astis was badly beaten and found injured and bleeding in an alley, Moira not only took her home, took care of her wounds, and comforted her distraught and shaken friend, but was so furious about the attack that she almost immediately went after the culprit and killed him. According to Astis she never has any problems with people being nasty or aggressive towards her anymore as people are scared to even look at her the wrong way for fear Moira will go after them.
- Whispering Ghosts: Can be heard when Moira enters Limbo
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Astis tries telling Moira this....unfortunately it doesn't work, Moira has very bad self image and is not ready or willing to believe anything good about herself.
