Harmonium:
The Musical

Harmonium: The Musical is an adventure where you play a young girl who became Deaf when she was very young as she goes on a grand expedition. You explore a fantastical world where music is seen as much as heard and use sign language and gestures to communicate as you try and get home to put on a show for your friends. It's like a classic Disney adventure with songs and heartfelt emotion from the perspective of a Deaf hero.

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You play Melody Macato, a ten-year-old musician who became Deaf at a young age. As she's preparing to put on a show for her friends, where the music can be heard, felt, and seen, she gets transported to a magical world called Harmonium. To return home, she must defeat the evil Cacophony by creating a masterful symphony. Along the way, she meets characters and creatures who help her on her journey and invent moving songs and melodies.

Play involves exploring Harmonium and using sign language (ASL), hand gestures, and body language to interact with characters and solve puzzles. You influence the musical numbers that are signed and sung and follow branching dialogues that alter not only the lyrics but the gameplay as well. Then there are puzzles where you can tinker with visual musical toys. Throughout, you don't need any prior experience in sign language and was a collaboration with Deaf artists, writers, and designers to create an authentic yet whimsical story.

The result is a game that feels like an interactive Disney musical where the extravagant melodies and songs can seen as well as heard. In its inclusive design, it invites players to expand their senses in unusual ways.

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Our examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked Harmonium: The Musical 4 months ago. It was re-examined by Andy Robertson and updated 3 months ago.