game poem

hugovk commented on the word game poem

game poem, n.

Austin Chronicle, 12 February 2016:

A game poem in its purest form, Charles Elwonger's Lost Thing rewards several play-throughs despite its unchanging plot. Lasting only a few minutes depending on the speed at which you digest the words, sounds, and imagery, that's not a tall order. The player interaction – holding down the space bar or mouse to continue to the next animated frame – might appear to be mere frippery, but like good poetry, every element is purposeful. Advancing the story involves inducing a short but clear breath sound. This gives the spare figure onscreen a sense of animation and helps players identify with the identity-challenged protagonist. The static-y visuals juxtaposed with crisp sound design imbues the short poem with a pleasantly contradictory sense of realism and surrealism, like a dream of something quotidian.

March 1, 2016