A comic about games

[axcho]

Something for the notgames tumblr, perhaps.



Thought you all might appreciate this.

[Michaël Samyn]

It's so sad.  

By the way, if you would like to post to the Tumblr stream, just say so.

[Jeroen D. Stout]

If you make this into an actual game (which I would advice) it would be a nihilistic version of You Have To Burn The Rope...

[Thomas]

If you make this into an actual game (which I would advice) it would be a nihilistic version of You Have To Burn The Rope...

Actually that would be a great mini game, that sort of focus on the pointlessness of games. That sort of mocks the player, telling them how they are wasting their lives (preferably not directly but making the player realize it their selves).

I am really tempted...

[Jeroen D. Stout]

If you make this into an actual game (which I would advice) it would be a nihilistic version of You Have To Burn The Rope...

Actually that would be a great mini game, that sort of focus on the pointlessness of games. That sort of mocks the player, telling them how they are wasting their lives (preferably not directly but making the player realize it their selves).

I am really tempted...

I had a concept once of a treasure-seeker abseiling into a cave (I only just remembered) where he would collect treasures; 1/10; &c; and he would eventually get to 9/10 but run out of rope. So the player gets a button to disconnect his wire, obviously a move which would kill him. If he does he falls down onto the last treasure and breaks his legs and can never leave the cave again; but has a 10/10 rating. I wanted to give the main character a back-story of escaping his real-life problems by his dreams of sorting things out easily by obtaining money as treasure in caves.

I never made this game because I thought it would be too much work put into a game which is only a mocking of other genres. And making it I would just be tempted to make the game fun by itself, sort-of removing the stinging point.

I like the weak point whilst sobbing, however, a very strong one.

[Michaël Samyn]

Your concept only really works when it is seen as a criticism of games. If you read it as a metaphor for life, it's very sad (and almost an encouragement to be conservative). 

[Thomas]

Jeroen D. Stout:
I like your idea! Would be be fun to see it made, even though I know the twist now

I really like small games with where the design is more "holistic" and where you need to play it to the end to grasp it. It especially works nicely for smaller games and "Everyday the same day" and "Beacon" are really good interesting example of this.

[Jeroen D. Stout]

Your concept only really works when it is seen as a criticism of games. If you read it as a metaphor for life, it's very sad (and almost an encouragement to be conservative).  

You can see it as an argument against escapism. Going down some mine to find treasure is nonsense, yet so many people are convinced that their person 'coal mine' will suddenly produce diamonds; like a person going out in his student years either backs up from the drunken student slummer or falls and breaks his legs... the complete fulfilment, the 10/10, is just a promise through the glorification of such things in the media, I think. Looking at beauty ideals, love ideals, career ideals, family ideals, eating ideals... nobody can do all that without letting go of the safety wire. I could open a random issue of Cosmo Magazine and have enough material to make this a metaphor for the bad things in life

EDIT: With Michael Samyn's Memorial in the background? That song haunts me. It is the new More News From Nowhere.

Jeroen D. Stout:
I like your idea! Would be be fun to see it made, even though I know the twist now

I really like small games with where the design is more "holistic" and where you need to play it to the end to grasp it. It especially works nicely for smaller games and "Everyday the same day" and "Beacon" are really good interesting example of this.

Perhaps something for the after-hours it would be good to get a nice little cheeky 'swing' on the abseiling, get back some 2.5D gameplay... but I am not meeting enough deadlines as-is
EDIT: See, I am already making it 'fun'; swing on abseiling. I need to make the gameplay... thoughtful? Like We The Giants and as you mention, Every Day the Same Day.

[Derrick]

Beautiful comic... I immediately emailed it to my team and professor.