This week, I began to think about the Essential Experience. What is the one emotion you would want the player to walk away feeling? The first thought that came to my mind was – freedom within solitude.

This answer comes from my solo trip to Amsterdam. Traveling to an unknown country all by myself was a first for me. I had never really left my hometown until now. I could not help but feel excited as I walked through streets that I have never walked on before. I stood on a bridge, watched the rain fall on the canal, and took a tram while sitting by the window to observe the life experiences of the local residents. I find it strange that I didn’t feel lonely at all but instead felt a kind of peacefulness that was softly wrapped by the world. At that moment, I realized that freedom is not loud or ecstatic, it is something that is quiet. I wish for players to be able to feel the feeling of being cheered on by an audience and not losing focus at all.

The dreamer will be walking towards the light and sound and, while looking around, will look into their heart. This is a journey of introspection. But I’m also thinking: if my experience is too “introspective”, will it just confuse players about what they ‘should do’? How do I find a balance between freedom and confusion? Loneliness might strengthen the person but it estranges one as well. How do I distinguish between them in my design? I learned an important aspect of design through this class.

The experience of the game does not always have to occur in the external world. Another option can be that it occurs within the player himself. I have thus come to the decision to make my work an experience of slowness where ‘loneliness’ would become a gentle force and not a word that we fear.