Clutter is a contemplative narrative game about memories, the sentimentality of objects, and moving forward into the future.
Class: Thesis I - 2019
Instructor:
Clutter is a contemplative narrative game about memories, the sentimentality of objects, and moving forward into the future. Austen is moving in with her partner and there’s just a few scattered items left to pack. They’re personal belongings from her past, each with its own story, and the player is asked to observe, discuss, and decide the importance of each object, ultimately choosing to either keep or discard it. Are these items important for Austen’s future?
Clutter is a dialogue based visual novel presented in a 3D point-and-click world. Explore Austen’s old apartment, picking up and observing objects before packing them up. Dialogues with Austen’s partner, Marie, provide branching narrative which delve into each characters thoughts. Discussing each object with Marie provides context and history.
Ultimately, Clutter is about people and relationships. It’s about pivotal moments in our lives and the unnecessary things we hold on to, both physical objects and emotions. The story and characters are fictional, but draw strongly from my own experiences and my hope is that this is a narrative that players can relate to.
My intention was to create something thoughtful, that is about both interpersonal and internal conflict, but remains hopeful. The game is an optimistic and comfortable experience which encourages players to observe and think before affecting their environment. This isn’t a game about exerting power, it’s about compromise and intimacy while negotiating a future of cohabitation.
