Enduring the drudgery of everyday life can be a pain. But explored through an interactive game, how does it make you feel? Italian game developer Paolo Pedercini achieved this end by allowing you, as the player, to take the role of a faceless white collar worker trapped in a seemingly monotonous lifestyle. After playing it at IndieCade this weekend, I work up this morning to play Every Day again and boy was it depressing.
The emotions that Every Day provokes is striking considering its simplistic presentation and gameplay. You can play the entire game on Molleindustria’s website and the controls are simple. You can interact with people and objects by pressing [space] and moving with the left and right [arrow] keys. The end goal is simple: you perform the tasks required to complete the day such as get dressed, take elevator, drive car, arrive at work, etc. The premise isn’t to do any of these things though, it’s to deviate from them and escape the infinite loop that precludes your existence.
The objective is existentialist at heart, you must find five different ways to alter your daily routine in order to reach the game’s ending. While we won’t give you any hints as what to do, it’s fairly simple and an old lady in an elevator will keep track of your in-game progress. Expect to play multiple times in order to reach completion. The message Every Day conveys is bleak, cynical, and utterly depressing but it was also a compelling experience that while may not sell every audience member, those connected with it will find some meaning behind the facade. Now if you excuse me, I have to question my very existence. BRB.
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