Previously: “Trick Or Treat.”
Although most creepypastas eventually find their way to — or even originate from — the Creepypasta Wikia, “Misfortune.gb” is one of the few pastas I know of that capitalizes on the medium itself: It’s written in the form of a Wiki page. For that reason, it’s one of the most effective pastas I’ve ever read when it comes to blurring the line between fact and fiction. The last section is where we get a bit of a departure from that particular format… but the departure is where the story’s kick in the gut comes from, too.
And it’s a good one.
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Misfortune.gb
Misfortune is an obscure game for the original Game Boy. Since no known hard copies or roms exist, all information about the game is derived from personal accounts and a scant assemblage of screenshots. The game does not contain any credits and whoever created it is still unknown to this day. The few people who have experienced it consider it to be one of the scariest video games ever made.
Given its age and cult following among rare horror game enthusiasts, it’s entirely possible that authors of widely known Creepypastas such as Sonic.exe and Lavender Town Syndrome drew inspiration from Misfortune.
Story/Concept
The player controls what appears to be a young boy in a strange Gothic building. After brief exploring, the player is confronted by a malevolent being. Despite the character never identifying itself, some people, siting notable similarities, claim that it may be a representation of Baphomet, Beelzebub or even the Devil.
Upon meeting the mysterious creature, a dialog box will appear with the text: “I exist within the very fabric of reality. Do you want to challenge me?” This is followed by a yes or no choice. Should the player choose yes, the being replies “Then, let’s begin.”
Gameplay
The player is then transported to a series of maze-like rooms, each filled with pit drops, locked doors, keys and traps. The objective for the player is to progress through each room by either reaching the stairs to the next level, or solving another kind of puzzle. This can include answering riddles or choosing correct doors or pathways. The most well-known example is in a level where four small cabins are shown on screen: a dialog box will appear that reads “Choose wrong and misfortune will befall your loved ones. Are you ready to play?” Should the player ever make a mistake throughout the game, the screen will cut to black before showing a more detailed image of the demon along with a dialog box reading “I am God here.” in what appears to be blood-styled writing.
Alleged Side Effects
Rumours pertaining to the games alleged harmful effects began to surface on the internet around the late 1990s.
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[Photo via Naira Dias/Flickr]
