Anna Anthropy created a video game that’s really interesting. It only takes a few minutes to play, and it’ll run in your browser, so scurry off and play it right now! I don’t want to spoilers it for you.
So, why was this a video game? Penny Arcade Report asked the same question:
The first question is the most obvious: Why tell this story with a video game? Why not write about it? “Games have this capacity for exploring dynamics and systems that no other form does,” Anna Anthropy, the game’s creator, told the Penny Arcade Report. “This was a story about frustration – in what other form do people complain as much about being frustrated? A video game lets you set up goals for the player and make her fail to achieve them. A reader can’t fail a book. It’s an entirely different level of empathy.”
After you play the game, check out the rest of the PA Report article. They ask some interesting questions and make some good observations about the issues brought up in the game, and tackles the question of “what is a game anyway” pretty nicely.
Also: Pleasantly surprised that Newgrounds not only sponsored this game, but the community voted it up to be #1. :-O
I’m actually impressed Newgrounds users rated it over 4 – they’re a smart bunch of teens. In particular, I like the review calling it an “interactive artistic” expression.