Passage
I’d like to share with you a very strange, but very deep and compelling game. It’s called Passage.
It’s 5 minutes long, and it’s just… deep. Real deep.
Go play it. Now. Wait, read this first.
Use the arrow keys to move. Move right, up, and down. The further down you go the more of a maze it gets, while staying at the top it becomes easier. That’s all I’ll say, but go play it now. And then come back.
Back? Good. Now, what did you think? It’s not exactly action packed, but this game hits harder than any other game I’ve played. Think about your own opinions first, and then go read the creator’s thoughts on the game here.
See what I mean when I said deep? It just got deeper, didn’t it.
This is just a very strange game. I won’t say wonderful… because it’s not. I won’t say astounding, because it isn’t that either. It’s just very… very… morbid. And somehow uplifting. And perhaps the most deepest moment of all:
And if you’re wondering, I do have light hair and blue eyes, and my spouse does have red hair and green eyes. When I was younger, I wore a green shirt, blue pants, and black shoes. Now my favorite outfit involves white shoes, brown pants, and a black shirt. My spouse used to have a light-green dress that was her favorite. And yes, my hair line is starting to creep back. That’s me and my spouse in there, distilled down to 8×8 pixels each.
I don’t know what else to say. This is a one-in-a-kind game, something never attempted before. And it’s scary - a whole life in 5 minutes.
So, what did you do? Did you get the wife and go the easy exploring route, only to be stricken by grief at the end of it all? Or did you go exploring in the caves and give your life meaning? This is what Passage is all about - what you’ve done with your life and what you’ll do in the future. It holds a meaning far beyond any game I’ve played or any other form of media. It’s a moral for everyone, and it’s done in such a unique and powerful manner.
