rumination

by zeq
Overall★★★★★★★★★★3.35
Fun★★★★★★★★★★2.11
Innovation★★★★★★★★★★2.95
Theme★★★★★★★★★★4.45
Graphics★★★★★★★★★★3.30
Humor★★★★★★★★★★1.22
Mood★★★★★★★★★★4.30
Play on https://zeq.itch.io/rumination

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A small interactive experience. Use WASD or arrow keys to move. Very short, playable in less than 5 minutes.

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On Saturday morning I was having a series of negative thoughts about my hobbies. They were thoughts like, "I wish I was better at this hobby", "But I don't want to work on it right now", and "How can I wish I was better but also not take action to work on it?" Thoughts like, "I wish I loved this hobby more," or "Is it a waste of time to do it if I don't love it all the time?"

Sometimes the best way to counteract unhelpful thoughts is to move around and do something. I ended up joining Ludum Dare 57 to get some of the feelings off my chest. The theme coincided with this.

This isn't much of a game, but I feel better for having made it.

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Audio credits:
- underwater sounds - https://freesound.org/people/klankbeeld/
- guitar - https://freesound.org/people/Pensasneuvostoliittolainen/
- guitar - https://freesound.org/people/eldricke22/

Comments6

Isaac Hisey
Isaac Hisey8 Apr 2025, 00:22
Good take on the theme! Thoughtful and short. I enjoyed the experience!
Maybeagoose
Maybeagoose8 Apr 2025, 00:24
Be strong, it happens to everyone. Try spending time alone with yourself without distractions. Thoughts will come to your mind and it will be clear what you really want. At least it worked for me.
cammyrnn9 Apr 2025, 07:15
Very relatable experience, I especially resonated with the ending I chose. I wish you the best of luck in future endeavors! On a side note, I enjoyed the little font animation :)
Tugaryn
Tugaryn9 Apr 2025, 07:15
Cool. Got it shit happens
Thanks you!
7uc4s
7uc4s9 Apr 2025, 07:17
Jesus man, the feeling is strong in this one, brought me a tear swimming up...
stay strong dude
breadstick
breadstick10 Apr 2025, 04:34
Whoa, this was impactful!

Sometimes I find myself categorizing games as being something separate from art--more like a toy, as though it were meant to provide nothing more than idle diversion or amusement.

Every now and again, I'm reminded that games can also be an excellent medium for emotional expression--as artistically rich as any capital-A "Art" can be.

There's deep pathos in here; as you sink and read the ruminations, the whole package--sound, the animation, the art--all proves a very effective means to convey both mood and mindset. I might not have a lot of personal connection to the thoughts expressed by the sinking character, but I was still very stirred by this short experience--the empathetic bridge formed by this game was strong enough to trigger some deep introspection in myself.

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