Call of Dudley is a simply maddening, experimental, first-person game built for PROCJAM 2015, a game jam focusing on procedural generation in games.
In Call of Dudley, you start the game with very little. Dropped into a eye-scorching labyrinth of rooms, doors, and telephones, you only have the titles screen’s cryptic objectives of “search area” and “render assistance” to guide your actions.
In much the same vein as games like The Stanley Parable, the narrative is delivered by a rather unreliable character. In the case of Call of Dudley, the eponymous Dudley provides the game its context. Through a series of increasingly bizarre telephone calls, Dudley explains his predicament and his thoughts on the maze-like structure you both now find yourselves in. At first glance, the basic mechanic of answering ringing telephones may sound relatively straight forward, but you’ll soon realize that the path forward is anything but straight. Each phone call comes from a different phone receiver placed throughout the procedurally-generated maze. If you’ve ever lost your phone while waiting for an important call, you’ll be familiar with the frustration of having your phone ring incessantly and still being unable to find track it down.
Call of Dudley is purposefully frustrating but thanks to its short run-time, the annoyance doesn’t overstay its welcome. Should you feel like the amount of irritation you can stand has reached its peak, stick with the game a little while longer; the ending is worth it.
Note: In order to find each ringing phone, you’ll need to have your computer’s sound turned up. Headphones are strongly recommended for optimal playing experience.
Check Out a Gameplay Video Here