Have you ever wanted to try stand-up comedy but are paralyzed by a fear of angry crowds? Well, now you can find out just how funny you really are without the risk of having beer bottles thrown at you, thanks to Comedy Night - a virtual stand-up video game on Steam.
It lets players perform comedy routines on a virtual stage using their own connected microphone in front of an audience consisting of real people. Those watching can heckle the comedians or offer them encouragement; I wonder which option we'll see more of.
If you fancy yourself as the next Bill Hicks/Jerry Seinfeld/George Carlin but worry that stage fright could cause you to lose bladder control, Comedy Night might be a great solution. Players can test out a traditional routines on audiences, or go head-to-head with another performer, with the crowds voting on who stays and who goes.
Kotaku notes that Comedy Night is the follow up to a similar Xbox 360 indie game of the same name. That one didn't do very well, but it feels like the system could be perfect for Steam. As one commentator points out, adding VR headset compatibility would make it even more entertaining, though perhaps not for the stand-ups dying on stage.
There's also a character customization screen available that contains different styles and animations to "enhance the performance," which sounds a little optimistic.
If you think you've got what it takes to become a top performer, or just want to hear people trying to make you laugh, Comedy Night is looking for Beta Testers right now.