The Unfinished Swan
A boy chases a swan through a painted kingdom.
The Unfinished Swan is an adventure video game developed by Giant Sparrow and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 in October 2012. The game begins in a completely white space where the player, a boy named Monroe, chases a swan that has escaped a painting while learning the story of a lonely king. Notable for its innovative use of a blank canvas as a gameplay mechanic, the game won two BAFTA awards in 2013 for Game Innovation and Debut Game.
Quick Facts
- Title
- The Unfinished Swan
- Developer
- Giant SparrowAdditional work by Santa Monica Studio. / Armature Studio (PS4, Vita)
- Publisher
- Sony Computer Entertainment (PS3, PS4, Vita) · Annapurna Interactive (Windows, iOS)
- Director
- Ian Dallas / Joshua M. Sarfaty / Hokyo Lim
- Producer
- Max Geiger
- Designer
- Benjamin Esposito / Mike Niederquell
- Programmer
- Joshua Sarfaty / Joshua Beeler / Chris Oates / Gavin Dodd / Eric Itomura / David Seims / Nathan Frost
- Artist
- Hokyo Lim / Gary Brunetti / Cory Davis / Miriam Nagi / Flavien Courbier
- Writer
- Ian Dallas / Hans Rodionoff
- Composer
- Joel Corelitz
- Engine
- Gamebryo
- Platforms
- PlayStation 3 · PlayStation 4 · Vita · Windows · iOS
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Development of The Unfinished Swan began in February 2008 using the Microsoft XNA toolkit, taking about two months to complete. The prototype was expanded and submitted to the Independent Games Festival, where it was a student finalist but lost to Tag: The Power of Paint. The 2008 tech demo had a 'cold and desolate' atmosphere with music by Moby under a non-commercial license, but the team soon settled on the concept of an 'interactive children's book.' After the IGF, Sony and Giant Sparrow signed an incubation deal providing funding, office space, equipment, and advice from Santa Monica Studio. The finished game uses Gamebryo LightSpeed and was initially released for PlayStation 3, with PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita versions developed by Armature Studio released in October 2014, and a Microsoft Windows and iOS version published by Annapurna Interactive in September 2020.
Reader's Guide
The Unfinished Swan received 'generally favorable' reviews according to Metacritic. Its significance lies in its unique opening mechanic—navigating a completely white space by throwing paint to reveal the environment—and its narrative that intertwines a child's grief with a king's failed legacy. The game won two BAFTA awards in 2013 for Game Innovation and Debut Game, and was nominated at the 16th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards for Downloadable Game of the Year, Outstanding Innovation in Gaming, and Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction. The score by Joel Corelitz, mixing electronic music with a string orchestra and string quartet recorded in Nashville, provides gameplay hints by changing style as the player progresses through puzzles. The game's journey from a student IGF prototype to a commercially released title with multiple platform ports illustrates the incubation and support model of Sony's Santa Monica Studio.
Did You Know?
- The game's protagonist Monroe is voiced by Nicholas Marj.
- The King is voiced by Terry Gilliam.
- The score was recorded by the Nashville Music Scoring orchestra at Ocean Way Studios.
- The game won two BAFTA awards in 2013: Game Innovation and Debut Game.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Unfinished Swan?
It is a 2012 adventure game created by Giant Sparrow and released by Sony for the PlayStation 3. The story follows a young boy named Monroe as he chases a swan that has slipped out of a painting into a vast white world.
Who is Monroe and who voices him?
Monroe is the player's character, a lonely boy who steps into a painted kingdom to track down an escaped swan. Actor Nicholas Marj provides his voice.
What is the core gameplay mechanic?
The player carries a bucket of black paint and uses it to sketch, define, and reshape an otherwise empty white space in real time. This 'unfinished canvas' system lets Monroe build bridges, create objects, and solve puzzles on the fly.
Who voices the King in The Unfinished Swan?
Terry Gilliam, the renowned filmmaker and former Monty Python member, lends his voice to the lonely king whose backstory Monroe gradually uncovers.
What awards did The Unfinished Swan win?
The game collected two BAFTA awards in 2013, taking home both the Game Innovation and Debut Game categories. It was celebrated for turning a blank, featureless environment into its central interactive tool.
More in Adventure Games of the 2010s, Part 5 1-24
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