Every day the same dream

[Duff-e]

Yeah first time I played it I went all the way to the end and jumped...

[ReNo]

I guess these sort of games are always quite controversial. Some love them for attempting to use the medium to tell a story or convey a message, rather than simply an excuse to shoot at things. Other people hate them because they ignore one of the fundamentals of the medium - gameplay.

It's hard to deny the latter point. There is no "fun" to be had in holding right until you are prompted to press space. There is no challenge, no risk, and arguably no reward. But does every game need to fulfill that?

I remember a friend and fellow game developer say something to the effect of "if you're putting story above gameplay, then you should be making a movie not a game". I can't say that I agree with that statement. I think that it depends entirely on what it is you are trying to achieve. I find games like this one interesting not because of the gameplay, but because they present a story, or a message, in an interesting and novel way. The interactivity can be an integral part of the storytelling, such that you can't just say "might as well have been a movie" because by making it so you'd be detracting from the experience. I strongly believe that watching this play out automatically wouldn't have the same effect. By making the player themselves decide to rebel against the monotony of the daily routine the game becomes a far more personal experience than you could have as a spectator in a movie of the same events.

I can see why some people wouldn't enjoy the game, as if you approach it looking for a gameplay experience you're pretty much destined to leave disappointed. I personally like seeing projects like this, however, for showing the potential of games as a truly unique way of presenting a story.

[Duff-e]

I think I'll agree with what others said: idea/concept interesting but implementation fail.

The implementation fails because the idea is boring. It's like a game version of those posters and sayings people put online. If you use stumble upon you know what I'm talking about. They're pictures of hollow or desolate places with some emo glimmer of hope. A quote that says "I need you" or a piece of paper on a telephone pole that says "I love you" where you can tear off "telephone numbers" that say "I love you too." American Beauty, fight club, michael clayton, "free hugs", a guy sitting a booth with a sign that says "I'll talk to anyone about anything."

This is the game version of all of the above. Maybe I only played through it because the music was hypnotically soothing.

[Taylor]

I guess these sort of games are always quite controversial. Some love them for attempting to use the medium to tell a story or convey a message, rather than simply an excuse to shoot at things. Other people hate them because they ignore one of the fundamentals of the medium - gameplay.

I think "controversial" is maybe too strong of a word.

It's hard to deny the latter point. There is no 'fun' to be had in holding right until you are prompted to press space. There is no challenge, no risk, and arguably no reward. But does every game need to fulfill that?

This all boils down to semantics and the word 'game' is one with a thousand vague meanings where everybody has their own definition (interestingly like the word 'art,' making the question "are games art?" devoid of any substance and/or worth). Since we can’t really reach for a dictionary, I will point out something I found interesting: Titles like The Passage, The Path and Every Day the Same Dream are exhibited as games; usually with some shtick about the story, pushing boundaries, being innovative, having a meaning or a message, and that how interesting someone finds them must be directly proportional to how much the person gets it. Yet when Yahztee said that visual novels weren't games, which are arguably the most established way of displaying story with minimal user interaction, the people who played them shrugged their shoulders and said they never saw them as games anyway.

[KoKo5oVaR]

So does anyone else play these games out of the same obligation to figure out where the creators are coming from

I think yes, because that's why they are made for in the first place

And.. to me figuring out is actually already fun in itself (if i agree or not with the meaning of a creation is another story). It's a bit like people who say that 2001 a space odyssey is a boring movie; or contemporary art is useless.

The demarch of an artist is in itself something very egoistical, he do it first to say what he has on his mind, express an idea, perpetuate a bit of himself in the others; but nobody actually give a fuck about what someone is thinking if it's told simply like that.

So you make it "controversial" or "impressive" or "exotic" or "pleasant to look at" or "entertaining" and making the meaning vague enough between the lines so the public have to find it by itself; all that in order to be heard.

There is actually something very parallel to seduction in that haha

[ReNo]

I guess these sort of games are always quite controversial. Some love them for attempting to use the medium to tell a story or convey a message, rather than simply an excuse to shoot at things. Other people hate them because they ignore one of the fundamentals of the medium - gameplay.

I think "controversial" is maybe too strong of a word.

Yeah you are right. I wasn't really meaning to claim they spark controversy, simply that they tend to split people's opinions. I guess a better term would be divisive.

[FrieChamp]

I strongly believe that watching this play out automatically wouldn't have the same effect. By making the player themselves decide to rebel against the monotony of the daily routine the game becomes a far more personal experience than you could have as a spectator in a movie of the same events.

I can see why some people wouldn't enjoy the game, as if you approach it looking for a gameplay experience you're pretty much destined to leave disappointed. I personally like seeing projects like this, however, for showing the potential of games as a truly unique way of presenting a story.

Agreed. Two additions from my side: First, an important factor is perspective. If you connect with the message (share the same idea, maybe it is something that is currently very relevant to you) then you will get ten times more enjoyment out of this than when you've got no reason to relate. Secondly, I don't understand the people who say this can't be a game because there is no challenge. Understanding the concept how to progress, finding the different actions is a challenge. Maybe not the hardest one you've come across in a game, also maybe not the most fun type of gameplay, yet there is a challenge. Adventure games anyone?? Those are more complex most of the time (remember that this game had to be developed within a week) but the basic gameplay is not too different.

I find it interesting that so many of you mentioned the music. I also like it a lot!

[Sentura]

I mean it in the most negative way possible as well.

i fail to see how a search for the (intended) meaning in a game can have positive or negative routes. i guess you're referring to your own motivation for doing the search in the first place.

[twiz]

I mean it in the most negative way possible as well.

i fail to see how a search for the (intended) meaning in a game can have positive or negative routes. i guess you're referring to your own motivation for doing the search in the first place.

Well when I played it, I certainly had negative 'search for the meaning' moments. Like sitting there thinking.. what the f*** is the point? I mean, I figured out in the first 30 seconds from the music, animation, the setting, etc that this is going to be a "breaking from monotony" sort of purpose. I played along at first eager to see how it played out, to see how the decisions altered things.. but as it went on and nothing different ever happened, other than slightly changed dialog, I got less and less interested in it. I kept expecting something to stand out as unexpected in that realm, but nothing ever did, it just seemed to kind of dwindle off until the end. I think the music and art style was great. The message/purpose was cliche and boring even within that cliche. The gameplay didn't help the situation. It's Groundhog Day with an "emo" spin and none of the humor. A pinch of Sixth Sense there at the end? I don't know. The ending didn't really mean much to me, maybe I don't "get it". Did he die? Is his afterlife an empty world? I find myself not really caring. I have no connection to the character, I just pushed him along through some hoops, then it ended.

This all sounds really negative, but its overly harsh. I didn't hate the game, I'm at more of a 'meh' sort of place. Nothing stood out to me, but I can see how some would enjoy it.