Thing-in-Itself is an interactive short story about the struggles of understanding another human being. Using Immanuel Kant's concept as a framework, it leads the player through stages of a relationship, exploring how perceptions may clash and surroundings can alter. Thing-in-Itself is not a game in a traditional sense - it doesn't have win or lose conditions and doesn't present challenge to the player.
Reviews View More
This is surprisingly kinda good and somehow makes Immanuel Kant interesting...? I jest. I didn't expect myself to enjoy this at all, but honestly, it's a pretty unique and engaging way to explore a philosophical concept. The relationship depicted falls flat and feels ersatz, but I'm still pretty impressed that they were able to succinctly explain the thing-in-itself in such a unique way.
I like that it has a straightforward adaption of philosophical exploration - not everything needs to be embedded into a giant worldbuilding effort. And it becomes more understandable when it's limited to the familiar and intimate. I'd like more of these kinds of perspectives.
have to leave a review to clear the air from the critical one below. i didn't think the dialogue was jarring. they just seemed like regular people. she explains the kant idea in clear, easy terms and they seem cute together. i enjoyed it!
This 15-minute game uses Immanuel Kant's concept as a framework to depict a failed relationship. While the concept itself is utilized in a genuinely interesting, poignant way, where the game fails miserably is portraying the relationship itself. I was rolling my eyes from the very first snippets of dialogue. People just don't talk like that, it's extremely jarring and unconvincing. The game's extreme brevity makes matters worse because there's simply no time to care about any of this. However, considering the dialogue, maybe more exposition wouldn't help at all. Overall, it's an interesting experiment, just poorly written.