Depression Quest
screen shot from game Depression Quest released in Steam
Depression Quest is a text-based fiction game created by Zoe Quinn. In this game, player will play the role of a mid-twenties human being who has a female partner called Alex. The main character is in a serious depression that he has difficulties in dealing with the relationships with others. Even though he kind of recognizes this might occur because of his own fault, he just can’t figure it out. While in the process of the game, the players have to make decisions for the roles they play so that the game can go on. However, though players have opportunities to make decisions for the game character, they can never choose the best options. All these healthy-minded choices are blocked by red strikethroughs. As the game keeps going, players will meet different situations and have to make their own decisions.
The primary concept of Depression Quest is to help people to be aware of the depression. For those who are suffering from depression, when they play the game, they can feel they are not alone. Their depression can be understood and this game is like a platform for them to communicate with others that can help reduce their depressions. For those who are just curious about depression, this game helps them know how depression works in a person’s mind. By blocking all the best options, players can never “win” in this game. A lot of conflicts and contradictions occur but the player can not figure them out, so that they can know the seriousness of depressions.
Mike Bezek states in TruePcGaming.com:
“You want to make your character a better person, you want to make the right choices, but the overbearing futility of life and the inability to help yourself is a powerful teaching tool in presenting the problem in a very understandable fashion.. By the end of the experience, you would be hard pressed to find yourself lacking a better understanding of the condition. A short, 20 minute jaunt through the darkest recesses of someones mind can be the turning point for many that want validation for their endless suffering, because sometimes, having a companion that understands your pain wholly can be a liberating feeling.” Bezek, Mike(Apr 12, 2013). (http://truepcgaming.com/2013/04/12/my-thoughts-depression-quest/)
screen shot from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N1kqtum5rI
Another art game created by Zoe Quinn is called Waiting for Godot: the Game. Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play written by Samuel Beckett, in this play, two characters wait endlessly and expect the arrival of Godot, but Godot never comes. In the game Waiting for Godot: the Game, Zoe Quinn created a simple game that players can move two characters at the same time in a scene. Waiting and nothing else can be done, then player will pass the level and enter another level, keep waiting and doing nothing. Just like the original play written by Samuel Beckett, this game is also an absurdist. With simple and crude menu, characters, scenes, this game gives the audiences a directly visual feeling about the play Waiting for Godot. Depression Quest helps audience know about depression and helps depressed people reduce their depression, however Waiting for Godot: the Game explains another social problem that people keeps doing something but never succeed. This game also helps audience know the importance of being patient.
An art game published on the website http://www.pippinbarr.com/games/artgame/ArtGame.html. It is an art game based on a popular old 2D game called Retro Snake. Similar as the rule of Retro Snake, overtime the player collect an object, the length of snake itself which play control will increase. When the body of the snake touches, game will be over, and the shape of the snake when the game overs will displayed on the screen as the result of your art drawing for this around. While creating the images, players can not have much control, it seems like a randomly created images and is labeled by art. This game explains explains the abstract art and abstract artist in a funny way. Unlike Zoe Quinn’s art game that explains different social problems, Retro Snake is much more similar to an art. It introduces the abstract art in a different way that players can directly feel the abstract art in games.
Other relevant images
screen shot from game Depression Quest released in Steam
List of exhibitions
Depression Quest was released on Steam game and is free to public
References
