All Things Equal I Would Prefer It If We Were Safe & Lonely Instead of Together & Afraid But I Cannot Deny That It Is Hard; or: A Solitary Spacecraft.

All Things Equal I Would Prefer It If We Were Safe & Lonely Instead of Together & Afraid But I Cannot Deny That It Is Hard; or: A Solitary Spacecraft.

released on May 17, 2020

All Things Equal I Would Prefer It If We Were Safe & Lonely Instead of Together & Afraid But I Cannot Deny That It Is Hard; or: A Solitary Spacecraft.

released on May 17, 2020

Fictionalized diary of real events.


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A Solitary Spacecraft is, essentially, a series of diary entries about early COVID. Released during May of 2020, it relates first-hand the uncertainty and depression that many were experiencing during that time. Our entire world had been turned on its head, and there was no end in sight for this new lonely reality.
In A Solitary Spacecraft, you control a person quarantined alone in their tiny apartment. The days bleed together as the pandemic stretches on. Nothing ever changes, except for whatever they’re currently distracting themselves with - TV, exercise, family issues. The only real source of happiness is their online friend group.
I honestly don’t think this is a perfect game; it even acknowledges itself as messy in the description. My most petty nitpick is that some of the dialogue leans into ‘online speak’ a bit too much. A more important issue is the exceedingly simple presentation, especially the complete lack of audio. There’s not any real gameplay or interactive element, either - although I think that’s more understandable, since it was a short story released under difficult circumstances.
All of that being said, A Solitary Spacecraft’s writing is very poignant. There’s some great core symbolism, and an interesting visual element that ties into the themes. Perhaps most importantly, it’s a look-back on a time that was universally difficult for many. It's just a game that a lot of people can relate to.
In fact, I don’t think that this was ever meant to be a ‘five-star game’. It's just venting the very real frustrations that so many of us were feeling in the wake of COVID.

I was looking for Pre-Fortress 2, wtf is this?

All Things Equal I Would Prefer (nem a pau que irei colocar o nome inteiro disso) é uma das obras mais interessantes que achei sobre a pandemia. Ele é bem parecido com And the Band Begins to Play, no seus visuais, gameplay e por ser um game sobre a pandemia, mas é diferente na sua forma de falar sobre ela (além de ter saído antes e não ter sido feito pela mesma pessoa). Esse é um jogo no qual não ser muito polido ou não ter uma gameplay muito elaborada ajuda na efetividade do que ele quer passar. Tudo que você faz é andar e interagir com objetos num quarto pequeno, sair pela porta te leva pro dia seguinte, e interagir com os objetos te dá caixas de texto que demonstram a situação do próprio desenvolvedor/autor, e por ser sobre a pandemia, é bem fácil de empatizar com o que ele passa. Este jogo é uma autobiografia sincera e catártica sobre a nossa situação, e é exatamente o tipo de história que eu queria sobre a pandemia.

(foi mal, mas o meu segmento de prós e contras não serve pra esse game)

tremendous respect for the semicolonically conjoined double title. that's how titles should always be.

beautiful prose. remember how fucking dire the state of making art about the pandemic was, back in 2020? remember how it hasn't gotten much better at all in the two years since? well, videodante pulled it off wonderfully, while the state of the world was still at its worst. remarkable.

Day 873: probably one of the only times that a "lack" of "gameplay" actually enriches the final product. The promise of a video game – movement, exploration, achievement – is denied almost entirely. Conventional indicators of progress have been reduced to essentially superficial changes, your group chat being the most dynamic thing that you can interact with (such as it is) in the room.

Probably more interesting as a commentary on video games than on world events, but I did enjoy it in that light.