Bad Day on the Midway is a 1995 CD-ROM game written and directed by the Residents, animated and designed by Jim Ludtke, developed and published by Inscape. In March, 2022, the game's copyright holder Cryptic Corporation and former Inscape CEO Michael L. Nash allowed the game to be released as freeware.

The game takes place in the titular Midway where the player first takes control of Timmy, an easily amused 10-year-old boy, but is soon able to switch perspective and control to a number of different characters as they navigate through the fair. The goal isn't made very clear, as the game is considered first and foremost to be more of an interactive narrative and visual experience, but there are various ways to die during gameplay, and multiple endings can be achieved depending on which characters are left alive at the end of one in-game day.

The character Timmy was later brought back in a series of short videos by the Residents in 2006. In 2012, a novel was published based on the game's story, along with a CD of "reconsidered" music from the game's soundtrack.

The game was optioned by Ron Howard at Imagine Television for a proposed series to be directed by David Lynch. After two years of meetings with Lynch, the project was dropped because a script was never agreed upon. Had the project moved forward, The Residents would not have been creatively involved as their contract only gave them consulting roles in the pilot.

Gameplay

Bad Day is entirely mouse-controlled. The game's core gameplay mechanic is the possibility to switch control and perspective to most of the game's characters, essentially "getting inside their heads." The player always begins the game in control of Timmy, and characters must be in view before the player has the option to switch over to them. Once the character is in view, the player must simply click on them to switch over.

The character currently in control of the player will occasionally display random strands of thought on the bottom of the screen, sometimes in reaction to the game's events, locations, or other characters, who will often interact with the player as they interact. These thought displays serve only for character exposition, but can sometimes clue the player in on what to do or where to go next.

Every character in the game (except Jocko) has a life story sequence done by a different visual artist. They are not important to complete the game, again serving only as character exposition. Most of these stories can be accessed by meeting their corresponding character in a specific location, although some stories have further requirements for access.

Even though there are death scenarios and multiple endings, the game doesn't contain any action or puzzle sequences; the player is instead encouraged to simply explore the Midway and listen to the characters' life stories. However, each playable character does have their own objective, and the game does run on a very arbitrary time limit: occasionally a clock will appear on the top of the screen. When this clock does appear seems to be random, and it only displays what time it is, not that time has passed. Time passes usually when the player enters or exits a building. The game begins at 1:00 PM and ends at midnight. If the player has survived by then, the game will trigger one of its ending sequences.

Characters

  • Timmy - A 10-year-old boy. The player always begins the game in control of him. He is easily amused and full of wonder, showing great interest in everything. He is immune to most death scenarios in the game as he is "protected by his youth." Timmy is voiced by Diana Alden.
  • Dixie - The new owner and boss of the Midway. She runs the Kill-A-Commie Shooting Gallery where she also takes care of her comatose husband Ike. She dresses like a stereotypical cowgirl because of her dream to become a country & western singer. She tries to keep a positive outlook on life, but is troubled by her husband's situation, loneliness, and problems with the IRS. After the IRS Man demands to see the Midway's tax records from the past five years, Dixie's objective is to find Ike's tax documents. Dixie is voiced by Molly Harvey; her life story is illustrated by Ronald M. Davis.

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In 1996, the Residents released a "soundtrack album" titled Have a Bad Day; however, according to the album's liner notes, although it does consist mostly of music from the game, the tracks are presented as small suites and sound collages, sometimes with either new or unused material.

Selections of music and visuals from the game would later be presented in a 10-minute video on the Residents' 2001 DVD Icky Flix. These music selections would also be re-recorded and performed on the DVD and its subsequent tour.

Reception

The game won the 1995 'Macrovision International User Conference Award' in two categories – Best Entertainment Title and Most Innovative Use of Multimedia. GameSpot gave the game 8.1 out of 10 stating “With graphics that perfectly match the story's mood, hauntingly upbeat music, and superbly crafted characters, the twisted design team has forged a story that is engrossing and entertaining throughout.“

References

  • Bad Day on the Midway at The Underdogs
  • Bad Day on the Midway at MobyGames
  • Infosite on "Bad Day on the Midway" with character descriptions, tech help and game hints