Far Too Close Encounters: An “Incident at Grove Lake” – Game Recommendation

Are you a believer in whatever lies beyond our reach in the vast expanse of space?

I mean, it seems statistically obvious, doesn’t it? By sheer force of attrition, there’s gotta be at least another planet with intelligent life. Thing is, by the same numerical force, we should have heard of them by this point.

Have we? My father takes some time after dinner to sit outside and smoke while looking at the sky. He’s done this for as long as I’ve known him. He’s told me about lights in the sky for years now.

It’s easy for me, as a person who grew up with the modern internet, to smirk at his affirmations. From satellites to planes, to drones, it’s just so easy to Occam’s razor what my father sees away.

Sometimes, however, I want to believe.

And if it is really true that there’s life out there, who’s to tell that we haven’t made contact yet? Maybe there’s something to the rambles of dead cows and mysterious sightings out in fields after nightfall.

What kind of presence would be out there? What would their intentions be? If they’re avoiding contact while making such cryptic acts, it’s just natural to assume they’re an invasive, sinister force.

Incident at Grove Lake by Dan McGrath is a short free game for personal computers that lets you check a leaked tape from a certain military base in Nevada.

Leak’s pretty personal, however, as it’s 1997 and the rogue agent just gives the tape to you during a meeting at a diner. As you part ways, you’re pretty sure that it won’t be long before the authorities start to intervene. What follows is a trippy and memorable sequence of recorded video intermixed with explainers about close encounters, climaxing on a wonderful dark note that far exceeds what the government’s annotations would lead us to expect.

The game’s got a great atmosphere, and that’s due especially to some fantastic color choices, particularly during the recorded segments. Add a great sound design to boot and the result is really memorable. It concludes with the reveal of a supposedly real testimony, which I won’t give the details of. It’s easy, however, to hear the person and condescendingly think about them, unwilling to take them seriously.

Sometimes it is good, even human, to try and believe.

I can indulge my father and spend some time with him looking at the night lights.

And I commend Dan for giving that witness such weight and gravitas, even if just for a horror story. It doesn’t feel parodic, it feels imbued with reverence for the mythos of UFO culture.

We might not ever get to know if we’re alone out there.

But you still get a chance to learn about the people we have here.

Keep looking at the sky!

You can download Incident at Grove Lake for PC for free here.

You can see more of our game coverage here.

Author: Walker M

Aspiring game developer and hobbyist writer. Perpetually doing too much. Chronically burnt out.

Argentinian. Passionate. Unbearable?

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