Software:The Coffin of Andy and Leyley

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Short description: 2023 indie game by Nemlei
The Coffin of Andy and Leyley
The Coffin of Andy and Leyley Banner.png
Promotional art
Developer(s)Nemlei[1]
Publisher(s)Kit9 Studio[2]
EngineRPG Maker[3]
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release[‡ 1] [1] [‡ 2]
Genre(s)Psychological horror, adventure game[4]
Mode(s)Single-player

The Coffin of Andy and Leyley is a psychological horror adventure game developed by Nemlei and published by Kit9 Studio for Microsoft Windows. The game originated as a demo released on Itch.io, and was later expanded and released on Steam in an early access state. The current version of the game features two of four planned episodes, the latter two of which are currently in development. The plot follows siblings Andrew and Ashley Graves, who find themselves in a codependent relationship with one another as they commit various crimes while trying to survive a dystopian world.

Gameplay

The starting area of The Coffin of Andy and Leyley, depicting the apartment in which the siblings are trapped.

The Coffin of Andy and Leyley is an adventure game presented from a top-down perspective, in which players, playing as sibling protagonists Andrew and Ashley Graves, explore the environment and solve puzzles to advance the narrative.[4] At times, the player is asked to make choices which may change the direction of the game's story,[4] and unlock one of multiple endings.[‡ 3]

Plot

Episode 1

Siblings Andrew and Ashley Graves have been trapped in their apartment for three months without food, following a quarantine order after the local water supply is found to be contaminated. Having been abandoned by their parents and left with no means to call for help, they are slowly starving. One day, they discover a cultist neighbor attempting to summon a demon. While the cultist succeeds, the demon steals his soul, and Andrew and Ashley decide to butcher and cannibalize his body for food.

The siblings later plan to escape; Andrew kills one of the two guards keeping them imprisoned, while Ashley sacrifices the soul of the other to the demon. The demon offers Ashley a "trinket" which will supposedly give her clairvoyant dreams. Andrew and Ashley flee the apartment complex and go into hiding.

Episode 2

While in hiding, Andrew and Ashley find themselves destitute and running out of money. They see on the news that their apartment burnt down, supposedly killing them, and presumably erasing all evidence of their prior crimes. They decide to burglarize their parents' house to replenish their funds, but they are interrupted when Mrs. Graves arrives home earlier than expected. She is surprised by their appearance after their presumed deaths, and reluctantly allows them to stay for the night. After the Graves family has an awkward dinner together, Ashley argues to Andrew that they should sacrifice and kill their parents in order to keep them from revealing that they have survived, which would potentially incriminate them.

Andrew has a flashback dream in which he recalls Ashley's past possessive and manipulative behavior towards him in their childhood. He is abruptly awoken by Ashley, who has grown impatient with his indecision as to what to do with their parents. Andrew, reasoning that they cannot take the risk of their parents giving them away, reluctantly agrees with Ashley's plan. The siblings take them hostage and sacrifice their souls in a ritual to the demon. They then butcher their parents' bodies and dispose of the remains, with Ashley cooking some of their meat into a soup which she and Andrew eat together.

Ashley and Andrew resolve to acquire new identities and continue their life together. Depending on the players' prior choices, they may be antagonistic towards or friendly with one another. If the player pursues the corresponding narrative route, the demon's trinket causes Ashley and Andrew to see a potential future premonition of themselves entering an incestuous sexual relationship. In another path, Ashley experiences a premonition that Andrew will kill her, which she refuses to tell him about when she awakes.

Development

The Coffin of Andy and Leyley was developed by independent developer Nemlei.[1] Initially released as a demo on Itch.io,[‡ 1] it later received an early access release on Steam, which contained two of four planned episodes.[5] The two episodes currently in development are intended to be different versions of episode 3, being titled "Episode 3: Burial" and "Episode 3: Decay", following from the two different endings in episode 2.[‡ 2]

On November 27, 2023, publisher Kit9 Studio announced that they had acquired the publishing rights for The Coffin of Andy and Leyley, and that they would be managing further development of the title, with Nemlei opting to discontinue their online presence while continuing to provide art and writing for the game.[2][‡ 4]

Reception

Destructoid's Andrea Gonzalez gave The Coffin of Andy and Leyley a positive review, describing it as "a well-written exploration of a toxic sibling dynamic" and praising the overall tone of the narrative.[3] The Mary Sue's Ana Valens praised the game's exploration of taboo subject matter, stating that it "has an important commentary to share about abuse, trauma, and dysfunctional family dynamics",[6] while also comparing the events of chapter 2 to the Folgers "Coming Home" advertisement.[7]

Kotaku Australia's Emily Spindler expressed bewilderment at the game's content, juxtaposing the game's cannibalistic and incestuous themes with its "overwhelmingly positive" reception on Steam. She noted that over 7,000 Steam users positively reviewed The Coffin of Andy and Leyley, oftentimes leaving idiosyncratic comments that jokingly expressed endorsement of the game's content.[4]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Prescott, Shaun (2023-10-16). "Five new Steam games you probably missed". PC Gamer (Future plc). https://www.pcgamer.com/five-new-steam-games-you-probably-missed-october-16-2023/. Retrieved 2023-10-31. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 Bruno, Travis (2023-11-30). "The Coffin of Andy and Leyley Development Shifts to Kit9 Studio". Capsule Computers. https://www.capsulecomputers.com.au/2023/11/the-coffin-of-andy-and-leyley-development-shifts-to-kit9-studio/. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 Gonzalez, Andrea (2023-11-12). "The Coffin of Andy and Leyley is horrifying and I can't get enough of it". Destructoid. https://www.destructoid.com/the-coffin-of-andy-and-leyley-is-horrifying-and-i-cant-get-enough-of-it/. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Spindler, Emily (2023-11-24). "Cannibalism Is Somehow Only The Second Worst Thing You Can Do In The Coffin Of Andy And Leyley". https://www.kotaku.com.au/2023/11/the-coffin-of-andy-and-leyley-game/. 
  5. はくまいさん [Hakumai] (2023-10-20). "海外で人気が凄い狂気の共依存兄妹を描いたホラーゲーム『The Coffin of Andy and Leyley』がSteamにて配信中。サイコパスでヤンデレなブラコン妹と一見マトモな兄の掛け合いが面白い" (in ja). 電ファミニコゲーマー [Den Fami Nico Gamer] (株式会社マレ [Mare Co., Ltd.]). https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/2310192e. "現在は4話あるうちの2話までプレイ可能なので、今後のアップデートによって次の話が追加されるのを気長に待とう。" 
  6. Valens, Ana (2023-12-11). "Why Are So Many People Upset With 'The Coffin of Andy and Leyley'?". https://www.themarysue.com/the-coffin-of-andy-and-leyley-controversy-explained/. 
  7. Valens, Ana (2023-12-11). "The Dev Behind the Taboo Horror Game Everyone Is Talking About Just Addressed Whether It Will Change Its Subject Matter". https://www.themarysue.com/the-coffin-of-andy-and-leyley-developer-addresses-controversy/. 

External links




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