Essays on Empathy

This is a collection of ten games made mostly for game jams between 2015 and 2021, each with concept art and video commentary, where the developers also talk about topics like their creative process, game development and mental health, representation, or being creative in a language not their own (some games might have profited from an extra round of proofreading for this release). All is wrapped in a pretty launcher, plus you get two hours worth of atmospheric soundtracks. My favourite game has to be Behind Every Great One, to me most painfully real narrative experience since Actual Sunlight (2013) and actually superior in how gameplay and thematic content reinforce each other. This also applies to De tres al cuarto, the game exclusive to the collection, and, far from a mere bonus item, one of the best games in there. Rendering the struggle for inspiration and audience approval as a deckbuilding game is just brilliant. As a reflection on the challenges and rewards of the self-employed creative life, it neatly wraps up the collection- the comedians doing eleven short gigs, each time trying to improve their routine... It also continues ongoing themes like including Spanish local colour in the games, plus it tells an intimate, beautifully realistic love story, so what's not to like? Eternal Home Floristry is an extremely well-rounded and genuinely touching game about a hitman going into flower arrangement. Engolasters January 2021 and especially Dear Substance of Kin show how small games can convey the notion of a large and profound fictional world. Zen and the Art of Transhumanism and Supercontinent Ltd provide valuable insight into the origins of The Red Strings Club (2018), Deconstructeam's most recent commercial game. I'm giving 5 stars with the understanding that the whole is greater than its parts here. Each game has something unique to commend it, but what makes this so satisfying is the opportunity to experience them all in a guided tour.

While some games in the collection,namely Underground Hangovers & Zen and the Art of Transhumanism,can be rather annoying to get through,the rest is genuinely beautiful and/or emotional. For me,De Tres Al Cuarto,The Bookshelf Limbo,11:45 A Vivid Life,Eternal Home Floristry and Dear Substance of Kin were the highlights. And of course,the music makes it all the better. I look forward to whatever these devs will make next,cause I know they'll make something beautiful again.