Imagine that you find yourself lost in a loopy world. Then imagine, that this world is a simple neighbourhood with Girl Guides delivering cookies. Then imagine that there are strange inspectors, trying to blend in, but failing. And finally, imagine that everyone is looking for a solitary figure known simply as ‘The Milkman’.
The Milkman Conspiracy is a level featured in the 2005 video game Psychonauts, by Double Fine Productions. In Psychonauts, players enter the minds of staff and campers, at what looks like an ordinary outdoor woodlands summer camp, for the psychically gifted. The main character; Raz is technically a trespasser, but is allowed to stay until his parents show up. As the game plays out, Raz discovers something truly sinister is going on, and digs deeper in an attempt to uncover it all.
In order to progress through the game, players use tiny little doors to enter the minds of those around them, to unlock the story further. The Milkman Conspiracy plays in the mind of paranoid security guard; Boyd Cooper, who guards a local asylum, whilst frequently mentioning ‘The Milkman’. Once inside Boyd’s mind; Raz finds himself in a typical neighbourhood, but with weird gravity.
As he journeys through this strange world; Raz encounters a cavalcade of G-Men. Strange government inspector like figures, in tan brown overcoats, top hats, thin legs, and green/blue skin. Walking up to and interacting with these figures is a strange experience, as they believe they are simple labourers, but in actual fact, they are just bad actors, and are fooling no-one. However, they are a major hurdle, as if they don’t see you carrying the same work implement as them, then they get mighty suspicious of you. So players need to look out for the correct implements in order to sneak past them. They take on several jobs throughout the level, including Road Crew Workers, Hedge Trimmers, Housewives, and even Widows. And they frequently mutter strange phrases as they do these jobs.
But why are these suspicious figures pretending to work in specialised fields? Because they, like everyone else, are looking for ‘The Milkman’. But it’s not just G-Men hanging around in this strange world, as there’s a group of Girl Guides called the Rainbow Squirts, led by someone simply known as the ‘Den Mother’.
So who is ‘The Milkman’? He is the true persona of Boyd, the security guard. Inside his mind, the Milkman is being contained by the Rainbow Squirts, whilst the G-Men want to remove ‘The Milkman’ from Boyd’s mind. With help from Raz, The Milkman escapes; flinging Raz from his mind, and allowing Boyd to regain his persona, so he can let Raz into the asylum, through the use of a Molotov cocktail.
As Boyd escapes, he utters the phrase “I am the Milkman. My milk is delicious”. This was a phrase frequently spoken by a staff member at Double Fine Productions, and was the key inspiration for game designer and company founder Tim Schafer, to create this experience.
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