One of the hottest new releases on Steam this week has an interesting title: NotGTAV. This parody of Grand Theft Auto 5 is now available for a mere 75 cents.
NotGTAV plays nothing like GTA 5. Instead of being an open-world crime game, it's a British spin on that old mobile game Snake. Players attack public sector workers as David Cameron, harass sheep in Wales, drive around London and much more. Well, not that much more. It's only 75 cents, after all.
Here's how the developers describe the game on its Steam listing:
This game is a parody.It is definitely, positively and (hopefully) legally, not the game Grand Theft Auto Five.Sure, it's called NotGTAV, but those letters stand for Great Traffic Adventure and the V is silent. Like the one in "lawsuit" (which, you'll notice, is also invisible).This short tour of the glories of the UK’s M4 corridor is easy to play, hard to master, addictive, very funny, and cheap.
Their mock timeline of NotGTAV's development states that production began in 1812. They allege that Nokia and Rockstar then stole their ideas for Snake and Grand Theft Auto, respectively. Sounds legit.
The game's title might make you think it's a cynical cash-grab, akin to releasing a mobile game called Clash of Clanzz or Flappiest Birds. However, it's worth noting that the developers at NotGames aren't actually making any money off the game. Instead, they're donating it to charity Peer Productions. Peer Productions is a UK-based organization that runs free drama programs for young people and performs educational plays at schools. The developers are apparently alumni of the program:
Without Peer Productions the NotGames team would never have met. By buying this game you can help us pay something back.
You can also pick up the mobile version of the game for Android or iOS devices. The mobile edition's profits are likewise being donated to Peer Productions.
