A Mind Is A Small Place by Juju Adams

We have all crossed paths with depression in our lives, and this development team are no different. We owe it ourselves and each other to be honest.
This is a brief and simple game that tries to communicate how isolating life can be through the eyes of depression. Any kind of illness takes its toll on a family, especially in cases were a condition can last indefinitely. This is a story about two people.
There are some simple puzzles in the game, so don't give up! Also keep your eyes open for an alternate ending: even in melancholy, little choices do add up.
Code: Juju Adams - jujuadams
Art: Daniel Marques - iamthirteen
Modelling: Chris "topher" Anselmo
Audio: Jan Vorisek - blokatt
Shader Errors
Some newer Windows OSs don't come with DirectX 9 installed. This causes an error at the start of the game. Please download the necessary files from Microsoft to solve the problem.
Ratings
| Overall | 25th | 4.167⭐ | 32🧑⚖️ |
| Fun | 346th | 3.233⭐ | 32🧑⚖️ |
| Innovation | 94th | 3.8⭐ | 32🧑⚖️ |
| Theme | 142th | 3.867⭐ | 32🧑⚖️ |
| Graphics | 61th | 4.467⭐ | 32🧑⚖️ |
| Audio | 19th | 4.3⭐ | 32🧑⚖️ |
| Mood | 5th | 4.6⭐ | 32🧑⚖️ |
| Given | 47🗳️ | 38🗨️ |
Played it multiple times but didn't get any idea of how to reach an alternative ending. Could you post a walkthrough?
I like the subtlety of the alternate ending! Just as subtle as the way you can reach it!
P.S. If this game was made with one of you or friends/family in mind, or from personal experience, my condolences.
PROS
- Well-done atmosphere and mood setting
CONS
- Heavily reliant on symbolism, may or may not be 'gotten' by players
For full criticism and breakdown of ranking, as well as candid reactions to gameplay, do check out the video~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTU4u52qxrE
The art was fitting and the instability effect of the whole scenery did bring a nice touch to the mood, further enhanced by the heavy atmospheric audio. The painting bit was nice! And as aforementioned, having other tasks than just answering the phone was a nice addition that kept me feeling involved in the game.
The alternate ending was very subtle, both how to get it and the ending itself. I would say too subtle even, because it literally boils down to one little choice, choice that didn't feel to me as coherently presented as I would've liked.
All in all it's a well done entry, great job!
What you've created and how you've presented it is very subjective, because it's relying on a lot of symbolism to get the message/feelings across - so here is what I got from it.
You address the subject well. It starts fairly innocently - the part where yourself/others around you are just noticing a difference.
The breathing sound effect coupled with the rooms almost breathing effect creates a rather claustrophobic and trapped feeling which becomes more apparent as I explored the later stages. These two things really helped deliver the stages.
The stage with all the phones ringing at different periods just to hang up - this stage really clicked with me. When depression rears its ugly head you may find yourself with lots of people trying to help, but often your mood or the situation means that you can push a lot of people away, or they simply give up because sometimes they're unable to help. I thought this issue was captured so well with the phones ringing, trying to get to it just for it to go dead.
When everything was turned upside down, when your world is turned upside down from either being committed to a mental institution (which was hinted at) or perhaps when you're in that depressive spiral the last thing you need is for the person to begin to give up. The phone message starts to feel like the person on the other end is your main carer (be it parent or spouse) and they're starting to give up. Followed by a stage about taking your medicine and then anger to finally the feeling of abandonment when this phone/person finally just gives up. You're alone, and the final stage brings it to a saddening end. Checkmate.
Other comments. I really liked the little click sound that proceeded moving through the splash/menu screens. I thought the way the door warped in looked awesome.
Thanks for creating and sharing this. Kudos to all the folk that worked on it, and well done.
I managed to play through to both endings - it is a really subtle choice that makes the difference, and easily missed.
Overall, great job.
Thank you.
The atmosphere is fantastic and the narrative, despite its simplicity, really hits the spot.
I'm most amazed at the art style; it's so weird and impressive, and fits the game so well... kudos to all of you!
I guess that means maximum points in mood, right..? haha
At first I got the "good" ending. Then I played again and got the "bad" ending, but both endings were so similar I though I had failed both times, just in different ways. So I tried again a bunch more times beginning to end, finishing the puzzles differently each time, but no matter what I did, I only got what I though were two variations of the same "bad ending".
It took me a long time to understand what the skeleton was representing and to understand the meaning of the chess game, and now it does make sense, although you saying "little choices do add up" in the description has probably fooled me into overthinking the win condition and the "good ending". Having all those meaningless variations in the puzzles certainly didn't help, since the flowers are all that matters (I think).
Ok, so now I'm gonna go get some fresh air to see if I feel better. Oh, and thank you @juju-adams for rating my Little Scout. :)
Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YONTQdjhacc