Passage, and Meaning
It’s no secret that I am an avid gamer – if there’s a protagonist and a mission, count me in. Yet, I didn’t know what to expect when Mike Rudin’s great The Great American Novel Videogame turned me on to a casual download called Passage. This is a game, sure; but it’s also peculiar and intoxicating art. It is also greedy – the game play restrains itself to five fleeting minutes; but then gnaws on your conscious for days thereafter.
So what did I find so enjoyable in these hideously rendered pixels? An abstracted examination of life. In the words of the game’s designer, “your interpretation of the game is more important than my intensions in making it.” The game delivers on its premise in a very surprising way… it is not really about the action on the screen at all; but rather the reflection that comes with playing. The player brings the game to life.
Play it once, and you will be confused.
By your third attempt, you will be trapped in self-reflection.
There is no right or wrong way to play the game… I quickly found myself a beautiful and doting partner to join me in an ambitious and zealous run, only to discover – once it was too late to turn back – that we’d have been better off standing still in the moment. C’est la vie!
2 comments
http://www.kongregate.com/games/raitendo/passage-in-10-seconds
Here's a post on Five Games that Make you Think about Life:
http://siibo.posterous.com/five-games-that-make-you-think-about-life
Passage is one of them.
Thanks for the great reference – nice finds all around!<o:p></o:p>
I’m adding the other 4 to my “play” list.<o:p></o:p>
