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The Cat, the Coup, the Game

By Holly Willis
June 24, 2011
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Cat and Coup
Cat and Coup

A temperamental cat stars in The Cat and the Coup,a game created by LA-based artists Peter Brinson and Kurosh ValaNejad of the Interactive Media Division in the School of Cinematic Arts at USC. The cat is no ordinary cat, however, but the pet of Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh, the former Prime Minister of Iran, and the game traces in reverse the series of events that triggered the coup designed and carried out by the CIA in 1953.

The game features stunning visual design that draws on Persian miniatures, which were painted between the 13th and 16th centuries and are characterized by their incredible attention to detail. The Cat and the Coup also boasts intriguing gameplay as you try to solve the various riddles and puzzles to move from level to level, and it prompts a surprisingly emotional reaction at its conclusion.

Indeed, the game is at once a conceptual investigation of history and national perspectives, but it is also an opportunity to consider the power of identification, even in the context of a game.

Take a look at the trailer below to get a sense of the game's visual beauty, and download it to become a cat provoking your master, the former Prime Minster of Iran.

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