Mim

A lost treekin searches for her mother in a perilous world underground

Nobonita Bhowmik

Class: Thesis I - 2018-2019

Instructor:  Frank Lantz    

Mim is a 2D adventure platformer game where a young lost seedling journeys through a dark, mystical underground world to find her mother. It takes place under a grove of mimosa trees, the Undergrove, precariously existing at the very edge of the human world.

Our story takes place under a grove of mimosa trees, precariously existing at the very edge of Man’s domain. Though the sentient treekin of the Mimosa grove have been spared the horrors of deforestation, they know that the end is inevitable. And as humanity looks, once again, to expand their borders, the trees brace themselves for their final sunrise. Even underground, far below the roots, Man’s encroachment can be felt.

The Sentient Grove consists of the Eldest, an ancient Mimosa Treekin, and her brood. Resembling mundane trees above ground, and humanoid entities below, these Treekin are capable of performing wonders both magical and humane. In the Undergrove, the player guides a young seedling through a dark, mystical world far below ground by the magical glow of her First Leaves. Though the creeping darkness threatens to snuff out all light, a sliver of hope perpetually drives the player onwards through the lonesome shadows – a distant memory of when their world was brighter.

A feeling of powerlessness permeates through every level as the player character shuffles through the dark roots – like a scared child looking for their parent. Where once there was home and hearth only creeping nightmares remain. Hazards of both nature and Man’s making litter hidden crevices and not all of them are averse to light.