As a genre, interactive movies have long been dismissed as clunky relics of early laserdisc and CD-ROM eras—poorly executed experiments that never quite delivered. Less popular than text adventures, they faded into obscurity.
But what if modern technology like Blu-ray, iPads, and portable devices changes that? Could those ambitious late '80s and early '90s titles have been ahead of their time?
Veteran composer Tim Follin, known for iconic soundtracks in games like Bionic Commando, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Solstice, Equinox, Plok, and Rock 'n' Roll Racing, believes so. After transitioning to 32-bit consoles and commercial TV production, he's now leading a Kickstarter-funded revival.
His project, Contradiction: An Interactive Detective Drama for iPad, assembled a talented cast of actors and raised £3,000—proof that Kickstarter empowers creators to bypass traditional funding hurdles.
The core mechanic is refreshingly innovative: Instead of standard multiple-choice branching (like old Choose Your Own Adventure books), players spot contradictions in character statements to uncover lies and advance the plot around a shadowy conspiracy at the Atlas cult-like training firm.
“Characters provide evidence with three or four points, but one contradicts another. Spot the lie, combine conflicting statements, and they confess—unlocking more intel,” explains Follin.
Watch the Kickstarter video where Tim demos the gameplay.
Interactive movies, or FMV (full-motion video) games, peaked with laserdisc titles like 1983's arcade hit Dragon's Lair, animated by ex-Disney artist Don Bluth. Home ports followed, including Space Ace, spawning anime-based imitators.
CD-ROMs revived them in the '90s on platforms like 3DO, Philips CD-i, Sega CD, and Amiga CD32. Titles like The X-Files: The Game (7 CDs) impressed with production values, but long load times and limited interactivity doomed the genre as 3D graphics advanced.
“It started as an audio game for phones—pre-iPhone,” Follin recalls. “Tech wasn't ready then. The iPad changed everything.”
With 8-bit programming experience but rusty coding skills, he turned to HTML5 for cross-platform compatibility (Chrome desktop works flawlessly; iPad needs tweaks). A backup iPad developer is ready if needed. “It's nearly complete—just need one extra ending scene.”
By ditching branching paths, Follin focused on a tight, lie-filled narrative. “Writing took a year. I built a web of deception backward—ensuring motives for every lie.”
Starring Rupert Booth as detective Jenks, with Paul Darrow and John Guilor as Atlas villains Paul and Ryan Ran, plus Melanie Gray, Magnus Sinding, Ellen Chivers, Stephen Mosley, Anarosa De Eizaguirre Butler, Daniel Alfieri, and Chris Jackson.
View the trailer here.
With a modest budget, Follin scripted fully after realizing improv wasn't feasible. “It's functional at worst, elevated by stellar acting.”
Primarily for iPad, with desktop (Windows/Mac) ports planned. iPhone needs UI tweaks for text-heavy screens. Android fragmentation poses video/overlay issues: “Limited to larger tablets like select Samsungs.”
Slated for H2 2014 release, Contradiction blends clever gameplay, eerie vibes, and pro performances—poised to resurrect interactive movies.
Do you nostalgia-trip over old FMV games, or prefer them buried? Share in comments. (Full interview podcast with Tim Follin and John Guilor available.)
