‘I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream’ celebrates 30 years with a console port, ready to traumatise a whole new generation with its tales of a mad AI god

While most people have certainly heard the phrase “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream”, most people haven’t actually read Harlan Ellison‘s post-apocalyptic short story. A few of you might have played The Dreamers Guild’s video game adaptation, which was a great way to approach the heavy source material. Now, 30 years later, Nightdive Studios‘ port for modern consoles is a fantastic opportunity for the rest of you to discover this sci-fi gem.

The short story and game largely follow the same premise, with a sentient supercomputer named AM wiping out humanity… except for five unlucky souls: Benny, Ellen, Gorrister, Nimdok, and Ted. We say unlucky, because the twisted AM has been taking ‘revenge’ against its creators by torturing them for over a century. Despite all the god-like power it’s been able to gain, it’s implied it can’t escape its base programming or shut itself down. What’s left in that scenario? Pure, endless hatred.

The obvious way to adapt the short story would have been to make a linear experience — something easier to decipher and straightforward to play through — but that’s not what The Dreamers Guild did. Instead, they let players experience each character’s own personalized psychodrama in any order, with a conclusion born out of the choices made throughout the game. There are seven endings to experience, which adds a ton of replay value even if it does mean that the later stages of the narrative can diverge heavily from the source material, but throughout them all, the crushingly bleak message is kept intact.

There’s still no way to soften the gut punches that I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream constantly throws at the player. The short story already is relentlessly dour, but watching, listening, and playing through AM’s digital hell is far more unsettling than reading about it.

Pile on the added ‘challenge’ of having to figure out puzzles and complex situations in deeply alien locales, and you’re in for a grueling and punishing time with this classic sci-fi game, especially because your story can end prematurely if you make the wrong choices. Without a guide to follow, I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream is one of the most oppressive 2D adventure games ever made.

Benny’s section of the game was always a favorite of mine; the concept of a stone-age community that’s barely functional and yet fully committed to sacrifices to AM, mixed with his guilt over killing members of his old military unit, is a nice contrast when put next to the other character psychodramas. Equally traumatizing, yes, but with a unique setting that’s primal and raw. In truth, all five stories are fantastic, and regardless of the outcome you obtain, the finale doesn’t disappoint. It’s really not for the faint-hearted, though, so be warned.

The Nightdive Studios-published re-release that’s been available on PC platforms for years is arguably the perfect way to experience the game in the way it was originally meant to be played, but with some modern bells and whistles and much-needed quality of life changes. That said, I’m happy to report the just-released console port (also by the fine folks at Nightdive) works wonders.

You’d think pointing and clicking through the game would be more awkward on a gamepad, yet the process has been streamlined as much as possible with an entirely different control scheme in mind. It’s not elegant, but it works, and the added options to ‘smooth’ the admittedly dated 2D visuals are a welcome alternative for those who don’t vibe with I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream’s pixelated look.

Those who aren’t really familiar with Nightdive’s overall philosophy when it comes to preserving oldies shouldn’t expect a major rework of the systems or visuals. In fact, this re-release doesn’t qualify as a remaster like Star Wars: Dark Forces‘ latest iteration. By all accounts, the development work done on I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream by Nightdive is strictly restorative. Could a remake happen at some point in the future? Maybe, but given that the original was a commercial failure, it’s hard to see the game escaping its ‘cult following’ reputation all of a sudden.

In any case, don’t skip this one in its refreshed form if you’re into sci-fi horror stories and solving confusing scenarios. It feels more immersive and engrossing than many modern works thanks to its atmosphere alone, and its tale of an all-powerful AI that regurgitates what it knows about humanity to haunt a group of hand-picked survivors is unfortunately relevant at the moment.

I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream is now available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.