Milkman Conspiracy


The Milkman Conspiracy is a level in the 2005 video game Psychonauts. It is a world that takes place in the mind of Boyd Cooper, a paranoid security guard of an asylum. Players, controlling the protagonist Raz, enter this world. The area has unusual gravity, causing Raz to be pulled towards different roads when he is near and walking at unusual angles. Multiple games have been compared to this level, including Jazzpunk, We Happy Few, and Super Mario Galaxy.
The game's director, Tim Schafer, was responsible for the level concept and its dialogue. He decided to create a conspiracy-based level around "I am the milkman, my milk is delicious," a phrase made up by someone at the game's director Double Fine. Schafer found fascination with conspiracy theorists, trying to create comedy with mental illness without punching down at those with mental illnesses. Art director Scott Campbell wanted to emphasize the paranoia Boyd experiences, accomplishing this by adding G-Men and the feeling of being watched to the level. Concept artist Peter Chan depicted roads twisting in the sky, wanting to reflect how Boyd's logic and reason were twisted. Erik Robson, who handled game design, designed the level to resemble a traditional adventure game, having players collect items to solve puzzles.
The Milkman Conspiracy has been generally well-received, becoming a Psychonauts fan favorite. Game Revolution and The Escapist writers praised it as one of the best platform levels in gaming, while author Daniel Hardcastle called it one of the best areas in video games. Its world design was praised Eurogamer staff, which felt it is what made the level stand out so much. It has received attention for its depiction of mental health, with author Alice Brumby discussing how Boyd's mind is the most "disordered" among Psychonauts cast.

Summary

The Milkman Conspiracy is a level in the 2005 video game Psychonauts. Like certain other areas in Psychonauts, this area takes place in the mind of a person, that of paranoid security guard Boyd Cooper. Boyd is tasked with guarding an asylum and makes frequent references to "the Milkman." The area in his mind is depicted as a suburban neighborhood where the roads are impossibly twisted and cameras can be found everywhere. As players control Raz through this world, the gravity may pull them to different paths and angles. The world is populated by G-Men, who watch protagonist Raz suspiciously while using tools incorrectly in an attempt to blend in while looking for someone called the Milkman. Players collect various tools to try to blend in with G-Men holding the same tools in order to gain access to more parts of the level. In addition to the G-Men, there is also the Rainbow Squirts, a group of children lead by a woman called the Den Mother. Raz discovers that the G-Men wish to remove the Milkman from Boyd's mind, while the Rainbow Squirts were trying to keep him contained. The Milkman is awoken and Raz is kicked out of Boyd's mind, who then assumes the persona of the Milkman and burns down the asylum. The world has various objects called Figments scattered throughout the area, representing different images such as lawn chairs and children, things commonly associated with the setting.

Concept and creation

The concept for the Milkman Conspiracy first emerged when someone at the game's developer Double Fine came up with the phrase "I am the milkman, my milk is delicious." This line helped unify various ideas converge for the game's director, Tim Schafer, about a conspiracy-focused level. Schafer expressed that he held a fascination with conspiracy theorists, wanting to know "what was going on inside their heads." He discussed how funny it can be to him, but he also found it sad that people can be so mislead by the Internet. He created a chart of conspiracies centered around the level's central character, Boyd Cooper, using various theories that Schafer had heard. These included famous real-life conspiracy theories, ones from movies, ones inspired by discussions at their office, and a homeless man who they paid to sweep the driveway. He cited the man and the conspiracies he believed as a particular inspiration for the level. Schafer explained that, in designing Psychonauts, while he addressed mental illness in a comedic way, he was not trying to "punch down", and wanted players to empathize with characters like Boyd.
Design-wise, Schafer went into it imagining the world as being a giant spider-web surrounding Boyd's house, set in a "retro, '50s spy vibe" in a suburban neighborhood, where things were not as they seemed. Art director Scott Campbell wanted paranoia to be a more prominent aspect of the level, which he accomplished by added by having eyes and binoculars come out of various objects and landmarks whenever players aren't looking at them, to create the feeling that players were being watched. He also was responsible for the G-Men that are found throughout the level, basing them on "G-Man detectives" from the '50s, as well as the Spy vs. Spy comics. Campbell specifically reminisced about the amusement he found with how conspicuous they were with their outfits and behavior, giving the G-Men in the Milkman Conspiracy a single object as a disguise, and making them blatantly obviously using it in the incorrect way. The level took shape due to concept artist Peter Chan, who visualized the world as suburbia being "vaulted up against the sky," while the roads twisted in the air, much like how Boyd's logic and reason were twisted.
When it entered the game design stage, Schafer had lead designer Erik Robson come up with the gameplay. He ultimately settled on making it like a traditional adventure game, having players utilize protagonist Raz's inventory to solve puzzles, using items to blend in with G-Men holding the same items. The level grew larger than expected, due in part to the designers use of gravity tech in the game. Robson felt that the level was too wide open, feeling that there should be fewer "ambient houses." He also wished that Boyd's "inner turmoil" was better expressed through the level. He discussed how the antagonists of the level seemed like "an immune system" responding to the presence of the Milkman in Boyd's mind, and how the Milkman can be "buried" but not eliminated, leaving Boyd to feel something bad will happen as a result of it. He found the open-air maze and the sense of confusion well done, but wish more was done to "drive that emotional point better." He felt it was not a standout level as a result, but appreciated the writing and humor. After the designers and programmers finished with the level, Schafer began writing dialogue around what had been created. He originally wanted Erik Wolpaw to write the dialogue, but because Wolpaw was too busy, he did it himself, choosing to make the dialogue of the G-Men delivered in a flat tone. One line of dialogue from a G-Man, "rhubarb is a controversial pie flavor," Schafer explains was based on the fact that rhubarb pie can be poisonous if prepared incorrectly, finding it fun to put details like that into the dialogue.

Reception

The Milkman Conspiracy has received generally positive reception, identified as a fan favorite of Psychonauts. Author Daniel Hardcastle identified it as the highlight of Psychonauts, also suggesting that it was one of the best areas in video games. Digital Spy staff similarly regarded it as the best level in the game, a sentiment which PCGamer writer Samuel Horti shared, citing the level's jokes as the most memorable part of it for them and many other players. Bitmob staff found it the best level in Psychonauts, praising its dialogue as among the best-written in video games. Game Revolution writer Ben Silverman found it one of the best platforming levels, praising it for its creativity. GamesRadar+ staff called it brilliant, while GamesRadar+ writer Lucas Sullivan felt that it was unlike any other level in any video game. GamesRadar+ staff also included it on their list of 59 video game levels people should play, calling it a standout among standout levels in the game. They compared the design of the world to a combination of M. C. Escher and Tim Burton and praised the gameplay concepts employed. Gamasutra writer Jim Rossignol also compared its style to M. C. Escher's. Eurogamer writer Christian Donlan felt that the gameplay was not the standout aspect of the level, claiming that its "magic" came from how the level was presented and arranged.
It has received discussion for its exploration of mental health. The Escapist writer Lara Crigger discussed it in their analysis of Psychonauts exploration of insanity. Crigger talked about how the world's architecture and occupants reflect how Boyd is being watched by people who wish to do harm to him. Fellow The Escapist writer Marty Sliva called it the "perfect platforming game level," stating that it was "one of the most unforgettable levels in video game history." Sliva discussed how the nature of the level's world made players empathize with Boyd, as well as how the G-Men reflected Boyd's distrust in all of the people around him. Sliva also discussed how the Clairvoyance power is used to give players the opportunity to empathize with Boyd and what he is going through, adding that the "tragic events" that lead Boyd to be the way he is makes it "even more heartbreaking." Author Alice Brumby described the world of Boyd's mind as the "most disordered" in Psychonauts. They discussed the central area, where Boyd is present, as the most sane place in his mind, suggesting that it represents Boyd's "ego" due to his presence there. They point out how the twisted nature of the area's roads contrasts with the world of another Psychonauts character, Sasha Klein's level; where that level has no risk of falling, this level there exists a regular risk. According to Brumby, this was due to the "disorientingly inconsistent gravity," which they describe as representing a "formerly normal, healthy mind, and the difficulty and dangers of exploring it." The Gameological Society writer Joe Keiser called it the "first great example of game environment as characterization," discussing how the cameras and G-Men reflect Boyd's feeling of being watched. Keiser also discussed how the Figments' representation of people and things reflects aspects that Boyd likely saw, but took no heed to due to his job as a security guard. He discussed how they are used effectively to convey the "vestiges of sanity on the fringes of delusion."
Multiple games have been compared to the Milkman Conspiracy, including Jazzpunk, We Happy Few, and Super Mario Galaxy.