The Fire Nobody Started

The Fire Nobody Started is a linear text-and-graphic adventure about a family of Irish descent, tracing its ancestors from the Industrial Revolution in England to the Vietnam War in America. The game explores how history shapes the present, including the ancestors’ mistakes, social conflicts and aspirations. You move through nine train cars in sequence, each representing an era, and interact with characters to learn about its historical context. The story has a predetermined outcome.

A journey through history

The train’s nine cars trace shifts in modern history centered on England and America. These include urbanization, the global shift of focus toward America, the move from Newtonian worldviews to quantum theories, and the human rights movements of each era.

The train cars

Each car reflects the trains and artistic movements of its era, with a distinct art style. Through the characters’ stories and historical settings, the game follows the paths that led to the present as well as roads not taken and the hopes of people seeking dreamlike destinations.