Maquisard is a lovely little game inspired by the grand details and tiny scenes of the film The Grand Budapest Hotel. Like that film’s star you are a hotel lobby boy, but that’s where the similarities end—from there, you’re asked to put your skills to the unusual use of sniffing out an undercover government agent in your midst.
It’s a fun and creative role-subversion: Suddenly your professional instincts to move unseen, to use only the back staircases and to know what your guests feel and desire before they do feel especially well-suited to a novel espionage experience.
You can experience the hotel one room at a time, or on a macro-level, a decorous and candy-colored anthill alive with travel romance. The game, which was an official selection for the IndieCade E3 showcase, was made by a student team from New York University’s Game Center, and is free to download on Mac or PC here.