I picked up the videogame “Fractured Minds,” and it is excellent in so many ways. Created by 18-year-old Emily Mitchell, the game won BAFTA’s Young Game Designer Award for her ability to transport us into the world of mental illness. It’s a short game, clocking in at only 6 levels, but those are powerful levels that use common gaming tropes to help the player experience emotions such as fear or despair through everyday frustrations of life that get augmented through mental illness.
For example, the first level is deceptively simple: Wake up and leave the bedroom. However, the door is locked, and the player must explore the room to find the correct key to unlock that door. As I said, a common enough videogame experience, something I’ve been doing since my Atari days. The first key did not work, and the words “Wrong key” appeared on the screen - and did not go away. When the second key did not work, another “Wrong key” appeared, and the words continued to fill the screen with each wrong key until I was feeling as if I was an idiot for not being able to leave a room - and that’s when the power of the game hit me. I realized some people feel that way all the time as they attempt seemingly simple daily activities while battling their own inner demons.
It’s a quick game that I finished in about 30-45 minutes, but it has stuck with me for a week since completing it. The next time someone says videogames have no depth or are not artistic, point them to this gem. It is a truly powerful experience.