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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/steamworkshop_webupload_previewfile_243845157_preview.jpg]]
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3Developed and published by Tampered Evidence, ''The Ditty of Carmeana'' is a parody of action-adventure and other video games, especially ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda''. It spoofs many of the clichés and weird situations that occur in video games.
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5The full game was released in 2022 on UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} for Windows and can be found [[https://store.steampowered.com/app/1693760/The_Ditty_of_Carmeana/ here]]. A playable demo from 2014 can be downloaded [[http://www.indiedb.com/games/the-ditty-of-carmeana/downloads/windows-installer4 here]].
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7Note: The player is asked to type in the Hero's name, but regardless of how it's spelled, it's pronounced "Lance". We will just spell it "Lance" in the trope listings.
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9'''Warning: Spoilers are not marked in the trope listing. Read at your own risk.'''
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11!!''The Ditty of Carmeana'' provides examples of the following tropes:
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13* AmericanGothicCouple: They appear as {{NPC}}s (with creepily happy faces) and are Lance's parents.
14* AnachronismStew: The game is ostensibly set in medieval times but shamelessly throws in modern culture and technology, including a basketball player in full uniform, characters from a Grant Wood painting from 1930, and a credit card.
15* ArbitrarilyLargeBankAccount: Once you obtain a credit card, you can buy as much of anything in the game as you want.
16* ButThouMust:
17** After Lance talks to Mrs. Perry about her new invention, the refrigerator, he says that he should take it with him. If he tries to run away without taking the refrigerator, he will walk back to it, face the player, and say, "I said, 'I think I should take it with me'."
18** If Lance tells Corporal Howser that he doesn't want to join the Army, Tabitha will berate him until he accedes.[[note]]If Lance says "no" enough times, the manner in which she berates him changes amusingly.[[/note]]
19* {{Cap}}: Lance is not capable of carrying more than ten frequent flyer miles unless he buys a money bag that can hold 500 miles from the General Store (which, of course, costs 11 miles). This, despite the fact that he can carry [[HyperspaceArsenal a whole refrigerator]] in his pocket.
20* CaveBehindTheFalls: There is a waterfall in Borringshire, behind which is a cave containting an InexplicableTreasureChest. A cut scene preceding this parodies how there always seems to be a treasure behind the waterfall.
21* CyanidePill: An item you can buy in the General Store is [[UsefulNotes/JimJones JJ]]'s Fruit-Aid, which kills you if you drink it.
22* ExpositionBreak: While talking to Uncle Stoopnixie, a CutScene occurs to explain how Lance and Tabitha met (ten minutes ago).
23* FacePlant: During a bonus CutScene. As Lance charges out on his Glorious Quest to Rescue the Princess, he trips over a rock and faceplants into the ground.
24%%* FairyCompanion: Tabitha.
25* FictionalCurrency: The de facto unit of currency is the frequent-flyer mile.
26* FlyoverCountry: Lance's home is called "Flyover Province of Borringshire" by the opening narrator.
27%%* GenreSavvy: Tabitha, thanks to everything she learned in Sidekick School.
28* TheGrimReaper: Appears in a cut scene in an AfterlifeAntechamber the first time Lance dies. Has an [[NewAgeRetroHippie unusual look for Death]].
29* HippieVan: The "chariot" that carries Lance's soul back to Earth when he continues looks like a VW Bus.
30* HoldUpYourScore: There's a wall in the game that Lance will vault over rather than just jumping. A few seconds after that, the game will flash Olympic scoring results for the jump.
31* HyperspaceArsenal: Lance carries a refrigerator around in his pocket.
32* InexplicableTreasureChests: Several, including one in a gazebo in town that hasn't been opened in years.
33%%* NoFourthWall: All. The. Time.
34%%* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Corporal Howser, when recruiting Lance for the Army.
35%%* TheOverworld: The Borringshire countryside.
36* PamphletShelf: Played with. The Borrington Library is actually a small table with a few books on it inside the Gymnasium.
37%%* PowerUp: Magic Spleens (which you have to eat raw).
38%%* SarcasticDevotee: Tabitha, to Lance.
39* SaveThePrincess: The object of the game (though you never get close to it in the demo). The phrase "Rescue the Princess" is marked with a trademark sign everywhere it appears in the game, even in the captions.
40* ShootingGallery: There's a bonus shooting gallery where the object is not to hit the target, but to miss the target.
41* ShoutOut:
42** Lance's parents are the two farmers from Grant Wood's painting ''[[AmericanGothicCouple American Gothic]]''.
43** The jars located around Borrington look exactly like the jars in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', and contain artifacts from other video games and {{MacGuffin}}s from various movies.
44** One item in the game is called Galileean Sandals, which let you [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} walk on water]].
45** The chamber where Lance wakes up after he dies is Number [[Literature/GrailQuest 14]].
46** During a CutScene, Lance is able to make a fairy who was chasing Tabitha to make her buy Facebook stock cough up and die by saying, [[Theatre/PeterPan1904 "I don't believe in fairies"]].
47** [[https://youtu.be/Zj_yZXNPD10?t=2957 King Telcar's headdress]] is a low-poly version of [[VideoGame/KatamariDamacy the King of All Cosmos]]'s headdress. He personally doesn't like the "stupid thing" and avoids wearing it outside of formal occasions.
48* SidekickCreatureNuisance: Tabitha is deliberately designed to be one, parodying Navi from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime''. At one point she says, "Hey! Listen!"
49* SignificantAnagram: Quite a few, it seems to be a source of a lot of names. Examples:
50** Tito Raul, the gym teacher, is an anagram of "tutorial".
51** Stoopnixie is an anagram of "exposition".
52** Bowtudgel, the name of the kingdom where the game takes place, is an anagram of "low budget".
53* SuperDrowningSkills: Lance can't swim and he drowns if he jumps into deep water.
54* {{Tradesnark}}: Video game clichés such as "Rescue the Princess" are trademarked, even in the captions.
55* UnlockableContent: The demo unlocks the town gates and the shooting gallery when you "beat" it.
56* UselessItem:
57** The jars around town contain "artifacts", which are items that the game describes as useless except to sell or for alchemy, neither of which are found in the demo.
58** Most of the items you can buy in stores are useless. Also the Refrigerator and the Banskerian Cap.
59** In the demo, all weapons you can find or buy are useless since there are no enemies.
60* WalkOnWater: You can walk on water after you've obtained the Galileean sandals.
61* YouAllLookFamiliar: Many of the {{NPC}}s use the same character models.

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