Game title

Escaping Reality

https://mastermikkel.itch.io/cultural-game-jam-25 

Team name

Massive Muscle Force😎©️

Roles

• Crafter: Mikkel
• Designer: All of us
• Artist: Emilie
• Storyteller: Kajsa
• Gamemaster: Camilla

Ideation Wheel

Cultural Heritage

Cultural Aesthetics

We have focused on the work ‘Dawn Hour in the Neighbor’s House’. The concept of being in a room, not knowing what’s going on outside is something we took under consideration. Then we also liked the butterflies from the wall which we wanted to add in our game, as a way of saying that the player is pinned to the screen the same way the butterflies are pinned to the wall. We also wanted to add the feeling of time going by, by the effect of sunrise and sundown which is seen by the sky getting lighter and darker repeatedly to represent the days going by.

EU Value(s)

Freedom (and human dignity)

The EU value Freedom, as we talked about the value of “Comfort”

In a bubble, reality is what you choose to see and believe. 

What if the bubble of perception broke? Would you want to see what's on the outside? 

In our game freedom is the comfort in our home, but also the freedom to walk freely. As the value is written “freedom involves protecting individual liberties, ensuring people can express themselves, make choices, and participate in society without unwarranted restrictions.”

The hope for our game is to make you stop up and think of the value and the different situations and crises around the world. The crisis may be far away, but they could also be closer to you than you think. Maybe the freedom and the comfort can be taken away from you.

Game Type

Art/Role-play

We chose the art/role play game type, cause we are interested in exploring a more art focused game rather than a known game style. We have also been inspired by the cultural heritage from Aros that we want to take with us in the making of the game. 

Our game is an art statement where you play the role of an average person staying inside watching television and not knowing what is going on outside of the house.

Cultural/Societal Theme

(Un)Fair Mechanics/Systems

The idea is to make it hard to turn of the TV and finally get out in the real world. Throughout the game the player will meet obstacles coming from the TV. The game is also unfair towards the player as they are told the exact opposite of their actual goal - to escape into reality.

First Idea

Our first idea came after our Artwalk:

A room with a couch and a TV screen, where the only description is to sit down and watch TV.

Maybe there will be some kind of hints in the room as to how to interact and in the end “get out” of the room.

Experience methods

Culture Safari/Artwalk

James Turrell, Milkrun III

Perception

Projection of light

Light and colors

Craigers

Crucial for all of us

We perceive light – it helps create consciousness

The greatest impact on our perception

He uses three colors (red, yellow, and blue)

How big is the space?

How does he use light to create a space, define boundaries, or expand it?

Shape of the space:

• There is smoke in here – it is not a clear space

Psychology of perception

Anthropologically – when vision encounters these colors, it triggers many danger signals in the brain.

Combined with smoke: fire, association with danger.

Space and senses

A look into our neighbour’s home

Temporality

A duration of 6 minutes

Embodiment – interaction with furniture – involving hearing, sight, and physical sensation

Inside the neighbour’s place – somewhat familiar but also very foreign

What might be happening inside the neighbour’s place?

Love letters themes

The love letters was a way to start writing thoughts down, but it was still abstract and confusing, as it was very broad. In this theme of that’s not fair, the subject was too broad to find any common ground within the theme. The whole start of the project was also very confusing, as a lot of methods were  presented and it wasn’t really clear about what the next step was. The love letters then became a source of frustration, rather than inspiration and passion. 

• That’s not fair!
• War
• Perception
• Artists; and their need for creating and telling stories