I just finished watching Extra Credits Mechanics as a Metaphor bit where they go over this game called Loneliness.
It's short, so give it a try and share your thoughts.
Here are the videos if your interested more in it: Part 1 | Part 2
I highly recommend you play the game before watching the videos. It's not long, and the video centers around it as a point of discussion.
My thoughts after playing through the game (and some of the video):
(I put it in spoiler tags as I think it'd be better for you to play without hearing mine or anyone else's thoughts about it.)
Spoiler:
I'm surprised how much it revealed about myself, including how I dealt with loneliness as a child and adolescent and ultimately how I deal with it as an adult. Almost to a T.
During my play through, I initially headed straight towards the groups. And I did this as a child. But as I grew older and moved, I'd try joining a group of friends but I'd be shunned. Sometimes just tacitly ignored, or sometimes outright told to leave. Just as in the game, I decided I didn't need others and went through the rest of my jr. high and high school life not bothering with other people. I made friends, but I always kept the notion that generally others were not interested in me, so I wasn't interested in them. This never really left me, and perhaps never will.
I passed through the dots, maybe occasionally joining, but eventually passing forward undeterred.
Until I saw the single dot. And just with my loneliness, I sought to fill that gap with that of a girl. And when that dot faded, I can't lie and say there wasn't a sinking inside. It seemed to fade all the slower. And the second one as well. I remembered that feeling all too well. It hasn't left me still, even as I'm writing this post.
(I did post a very similar thread to this on CDN; not sure why I feel like I have to reference it, but I do.)
I absolutely love Extra Credits. I had already tried Loneliness, and I have to say, I didn't realize how mechanics could make such a powerful impact. I don't envy many people for their opinion on gaming, but the team at Extra Credits makes me realize how much I need to improve.
Very cool. I've been keeping up with them and they've definitely helped me see games as an art form and how impactful they can be. Such great stuff for gamers and game developers; more people need to watch them.
So...I definitely spent the first five minutes wondering if something would happen, or if I was supposed to do something. Then I wondered "Ok...how do I control this?"
...yeah.
Spoiler:
I think it shows a lot of how I am with loneliness. At first, I try my hardest to fit in, then I give up because it fails. I may try again at random, but it's mostly just that: Random.
No offense, but the guy at Extra Credits had an annoying voice XD
Anyway, my playthrough:
Spoiler:
I kept trying for every group, sometimes bypassing one as I sped toward another, but never totally giving up because I thought that somewhere along the line one of the groups would stay put.
very interesting. don't have the brainzzz to talk about it right now XD
So at first I thought the groups were trees so I just keep going forward.
Then they were in groups that didn't look like trees, so I tried to avoid them thinking that I would get a game over or something.
Then when it was somewhat unavoidable, I went into a group and they ran. (That's when I noticed all the dots where people.)
So I tried going into a few other groups though of course they ran,
it was then I decided to walk alone for the rest of the game. (Those groups seem better off with me anyways.)
I wanted to walk to the other people that were alone, but I knew what would take place, so I just keep going.
...
I don't think I have any desire to bring back those thoughts...
At first, I went towards the dots because it seemed the thing to do, even though I was afraid contact with them would kill my little dot, so I avoided the first few. Then I tried to catch a few, and after awhile realized what would happen, since I finally understood the name of the game. Still, I kept hoping that one or two of the dots would stop and hang with my little dot. I realized they wouldn't, but kept trying until the end.
I occasionally stopped for extended periods wondering what to do and went back a little before deciding to go forward again as it seemed like the only option
I went for every group, even the ones that were far behind me and out of reach. I don't know if that says anything about how I act in society as much as I thought it was the goal of the game. I do, however, completely identify with Arch concerning the single dots at the end. Such a freaky sinking feeling. I guess you could take it to mean that I'm desperate for everyone's acceptance, which I am, but I'd like to think I'm good about getting over rejection. I've always been pretty persistent about being around people, even if they reject me every time, and it definitely hurts when it doesn't work out... but nothing hurts more than missing out on that one single, special dot.
I think I missed the entire point. I tried to touch all of the dots with my dot and I felt I did awesome. I didn't feel lonely, more so accomplished. Is that strange?
Jeremiah 20:9-But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
