De Tres al Cuarto
A downloadable game for Windows
A deckbuilding comedy game about a couple of small-time comedians.
We made this game while recovering from a breakdown we suffered due to stress and overworking ourselves during the 2020 pandemic. This piece was developed as a sort of rehabilitation therapy after being unable to work for about half a year. It's a comedy game, but it talks about both the struggles and pleasures of the not-so-successful creative life.
If you enjoyed it and wish to support our craft, please, consider purchasing Essays on Empathy, in which we collected extensive material on how we made this game and many others along with 1 hour worth of documentary videos.
Thank you for playing!
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The hidden n unknown sure are things.
this game is wonderful.
the gameplay seems so shallow at first but......
(spoiler warning, because i consider discussion of the game mechanics in a tiny game like this to be a spoiler)
.....it really, really serves the vibe of the narrative. it really feels like not just skills, but confidence builds over time: "we're bombing" into "oh hey, we're getting better" into "i could end this joke now, but i'm confident in taking a risk and continuing to build up this one"
i've played like.... a million RPGs and my characters always get more powerful but this was the most tangible experience of building my own confidence in my abilities that i've played. and with just four cards!!
also the narrative made me cry ugly tears.
this is so good. wtf
no but for real, like:
if this were a youtube video instead of a game, it'd be alright, but kinda trite
i don't think i've ever played a game in which the game mechanics support the narrative so completely as this game
sure i've played loads of games that invidually have a wonderful game loop, or a wonderful story, or a story that supports and justifies the gameplay much better,
but i can't think of a game which better supports its own narrative via the sense of progress that the player develops in the mechanics
oh man. i could write an essay about this game but i'll just be brief. this shit was phenomenal. i don't know why but i enjoyed it so much in terms of the concept and characterization. even the comedy bits. the ending was really well done and fitting for these two. i also want to praise the idea of having a "Hidden and Unknown" section for the thoughts the characters don't say out loud and other bits that add to the context and world of the game. i haven't played a game that had something like that so i thought it was an innovative storytelling device.
another amazing Deconstructeam game that left me tearing up. Thank you all so much for the amazing experiences you make <3
definitely a testament to deconstructeam's quality that despite bombing onstage the whole game, i still found this super calming and satisfying! learning about the character's and their relationship was so fun, and the build-up made the already sweet ending even more fulfilling. can't wait to see what you make next!
The Hidden and the Unknown is a really fun way to convey information. Really charming game!
Unsurprisingly, this is a wonderful game. The perfect Deconstructeam combination of unique game mechanics and deeply human writing. Love you all's work so much.
I really really liked the game! I never managed to score max. I'd love to read the full joke options with all the build up! This is a great game. Very aesthetically pleasing too. Loved the hidden and the unknown comments ♥
i was so happy when i saw they worked it out in the end or something like that, kind of a relief
I really loved this game oh man. I felt the realness of the dynamic between the boys. The difference in generations and experience, the humour, the love. Absolutely fantastic. This was an amazing exhibit of emotions. Much love :)
Ay como me hicieron emocionar loquites.
Hermoso juego, gracias totales.
This was a very nice game.
It's hard to put my overall impression into words, but I'd say... melancholic but also honest.
It's a story about people facing an uncertain future with trust and love, and I can resonate with that.
Bro this is an amazing game, keep up the great work!
I loved this!
Hey! I've been enjoying the game a lot. I'm interested in translating it into Brazilian Portuguese (volunteer work). Email me: [email protected]
Excellent game! Por favor, necesitamos de una versión en español, como hicieran para "Behind every great one"!
That was amazing, honestly one of the most heartfelt and touching gaming experiences in recent memory
What a lovely game! I enjoyed every bit of it, and props for an extremely sweet but realistic end.
i saw the behind the scenes stuff on essays on empathy and i saw that the comics ware supposed to be bad and not funny but i found them really really fucking funny
holy shit i have no words,, what a profound and beautiful story. i love these two so much
Real polished, warm color scheme and BG music really made the game more immersive. Well done!
really nice!! :)
hello,
this is my first comment here .
I loved this game, the gameplay was fun and the story moved me.
this was really excellent. I just finished it. Really making me think about a lot of things. It might be one of my games of the year. The deck building part was excellent, there's a lot here about people being human. There is no way to build a great deck, they're just trying to make it work and do their best and sometimes they fail. They're just mediocre comics, trying to be happy and figure life out. The dialogue vs inner dialogue was fantastic. Just a lotta reminders of how much people have going on and how much we cover it all up. Really beautiful game.
What a cute, profound game. I love both the characters, as well as how you get to see their surface reaction and their true thoughts and feelings.
The game was super fun to play over all, and very inspiring. THANK YOU for creating and sharing this game!!
Fantastic game...I loved how the comedy deckbuilding played into the intimate conversations. Such a warm and comfy game. Hats off!
This was amazing, even though I don't really know what I'm doing cause I'm so awful...
Saludos! Hay (o habrá) una versión en castellano?
Very nice bro
what engine did you used? Love the style!
Thank you! It's Game Maker :)
How much time di you invest to make the game?
About 3 months I'd say. Writing being the more time consuming part, haha.
Looks awesome, will definately try this out!
This is... wow. My jokes were insanely bad, but the story really sucked me in. Play this right now!
Look forward to streaming this on my own anniversary day soon!
Your game made me feel like I'm an awfull comedian! But it made me feel the relationship of Garza and Bonachera in a very special way aswell. Thank you! This made me discover Essays on Empathy
Feels like reading through a love story of the game writer themselves in a parallel universe, and some of scene is so real and personal that they feels like from the life experience.
Didn't tried yet, I'm pretty sure it will be great!