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Post by marle on Feb 17, 2013 18:57:33 GMT -5
Based on the discussion in Grayback's Depression Quest thread, I'm starting this thread to discuss art computer games, which are basically games (usually short web games) with a message. There is one that sticks in my mind, and that is the Flash game One Chance. The plot is that there is a virus outbreak that is going to kill the world in six days, and that you are a scientist working to stop it. I'm going to mention a spoiler in my next post, so you can stop reading at this point if you would rather play the game first. |
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Post by marle on Feb 17, 2013 19:08:45 GMT -5
The message is not what makes One Chance memorable for me. The game seems to punish you for spending your time trying to save the world, rather than spending it with family. It seems like a weird way of expressing the cliche that we should all spend more time with loved ones. Maybe I'm not getting something.
What's memorable to me in this particular game is the last scene (in my version). It's been awhile since I played this, but I recall the protagonist sitting in a park with his young daughter falling asleep in his arms. It's just the two of them there and snow is falling lightly around them. The gameplay ends here, but there is no fade to black. It looks like they could be on that park bench forever, snow falling around them, and it only ended when I closed my browser window. I have never seen that effect in a movie. A film always has a clear start and end point. Because a computer program can loop, the game seemed to capture this character's last moment as an eternity.
I don't play many of them, but I think there's a lot of potential in these types of artistic games as a form.
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Post by missklew on Feb 18, 2013 2:01:57 GMT -5
I've written a few art games which started out for a programming class. Wish I could find them. They are uploaded online too but have no idea where they are. lol
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Post by Grayback on Feb 18, 2013 14:24:32 GMT -5
The message is not what makes One Chance memorable for me. The game seems to punish you for spending your time trying to save the world, rather than spending it with family. It seems like a weird way of expressing the cliche that we should all spend more time with loved ones. Maybe I'm not getting something. What's memorable to me in this particular game is the last scene (in my version). It's been awhile since I played this, but I recall the protagonist sitting in a park with his young daughter falling asleep in his arms. It's just the two of them there and snow is falling lightly around them. The gameplay ends here, but there is no fade to black. It looks like they could be on that park bench forever, snow falling around them, and it only ended when I closed my browser window. I have never seen that effect in a movie. A film always has a clear start and end point. Because a computer program can loop, the game seemed to capture this character's last moment as an eternity. I don't play many of them, but I think there's a lot of potential in these types of artistic games as a form. I just finished playing this and it was quite something, it made me feel very sad, much more so than Depression Quest did. I chose to go working in the lab every day except on the second day because it was locked ( I'm guessing there was a way to open it but I didn't explore everywhere so I probably missed something ). I got the same ending you did Marle and I'm not sure how to feel about it, is he really, along with his daughter, the last survivor on Earth ? I suppose that's open to interpretation but nevertheless I agree that this last scene on the bench was sort of beautiful in a way. |
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Post by marle on Feb 18, 2013 17:45:36 GMT -5
I've written a few art games which started out for a programming class. Wish I could find them. They are uploaded online too but have no idea where they are. lol That would be great if you could post them here. I hope you find them! I got the same ending you did Marle and I'm not sure how to feel about it, is he really, along with his daughter, the last survivor on Earth ? I suppose that's open to interpretation but nevertheless I agree that this last scene on the bench was sort of beautiful in a way. Are you asking if they survived the pandemic? I assumed they died from the virus and the final scene in the park was their last moment. The game made me very sad, too. Unfortunately all of the memorable art games I've played so far have been at least a little a bit sad. Like this short one: Loneliness. Hopefully there's one out there that's slightly more upbeat! [On edit] I found one with a positive message: One and One Story. Poignant and sappy, but very well done. It's a real game, not just an interactive story. It takes a fairly long time to complete all the levels. I couldn't relate to it because I've never been in a relationship, so it wasn't very emotional for me, but I appreciate the thoughtfulness and creativity. |
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Post by Grayback on Feb 19, 2013 14:28:19 GMT -5
Are you asking if they survived the pandemic? I assumed they died from the virus and the final scene in the park was their last moment. I think they did survive yes because on the very last day ( the one where everybody is supposed to die ) while working in the lab I managed to make a cure ( instead of the usual red cross that appeared on previous days while working in the lab this last day there was a green check ) and the protagonist administers it to himself and his daughter if I'm not mistaken. As for the other two games/interactive fiction you've mentioned, I'll try and check them out tomorrow since right now, I'm too tired to play something sad  . |
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Post by marle on Feb 19, 2013 19:00:36 GMT -5
I think they did survive yes because on the very last day ( the one where everybody is supposed to die ) while working in the lab I managed to make a cure ( instead of the usual red cross that appeared on previous days while working in the lab this last day there was a green check ) and the protagonist administers it to himself and his daughter if I'm not mistaken. I feel very foolish now because I chose to spend the last day with the daughter, not in the lab. I thought the game would never let me find a cure, so I wanted to make sure the character was with his daughter in their last moment alive. Although interestingly, my last scene in the park was identical to yours. |
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Post by Grayback on Feb 20, 2013 14:16:59 GMT -5
I feel very foolish now because I chose to spend the last day with the daughter, not in the lab. I thought the game would never let me find a cure, so I wanted to make sure the character was with his daughter in their last moment alive. Although interestingly, my last scene in the park was identical to yours. You shouldn't feel that way, I think I prefer your ending to mine ( I actually made a mistake before when I said that my ending was the same you described, while both the protagonist and his daughter were indeed sitting on a bench in the park, he was not holding her in his arms, they were just kind of sitting around doing nothing ) because if indeed they are the last survivors, I don't see the point in continuing to live, but that's probably because of my own view of the events in this game... And here's another interactive fiction game that I remembered playing quite a while ago on Kongregate, it's mostly silly and might not be to everyone's taste, but I still think it's kind of fun : www.kongregate.com/games/Fr0z3nf1r3/relive-your-life |
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