Lisa the RPG Is a Testament to the Magic of Chickens

Lisa the RPG takes place in a dark post-apocalyptic world; a brutal land almost completely devoid of women. Death is rampant, punches are frequent, and things are generally pretty uncool.

But things aren’t completely hopeless. After all, they still have chickens.

I’m what you might refer to as a chicken enthusiast. For me, the chicken is an endless source of inspiration; I’ve written some of my best work because of their influence. My respect for chickens borders on boundless, and I feel like I learn something new about them every day.

Unfortunately, I’m unable to enter the wonderful world of chicken ownership. I live in an apartment in a big city, which makes chicken coops out of the question. I’m forced to admire fowls from afar, getting my fix through video games and Twitter conversations with chicken owners.

When I bought Lisa, I had no idea there were chickens in it. I read a Steam review that described it as “EarthBound‘s side-scrolling creepy uncle,” and figured that was worth $10. Had I known it contained chickens, I would have paid far, far more.

I’m only about 30 minutes into the game, but I’ve already encountered scads of chickens, as well as a guy wearing a chicken suit. If the chicken content ends here, this game is still well worth the price of purchase.

I hesitate to call Lisa charming — this is a game where corpses can crap on you — but it’s got a twisted sense of whimsy to it. It proves that even when things are at their bleakest, when your friends are all dead and you’re surrounded by darkness, chickens can still put a smile on your face.