A meditation on death, mortality and memories

Ansh Patel
Class:
Instructor:
Playable/Readable on itch.io

An Open Field attempts to open up a cross-media conversation between the essay and the game, each inextricably linked by the themes and ideas that they were made on.

An Open Field’s essay is split into four sections — each representing one of the cardinal directions in the game space. The abstract themes being discussed in the essay gain a physical form inside the game.

An Open Field’s game explores the ideas expressed in the essay but subverts the concept of “virtual death”. Death can happen anytime — without rhyme or reason and it’s permanent and definite, pulling the player out of the game and permanently erasing it.