Tlisted below are few issues sadder than the tip of a detailed friendship. Whether or not it occurs in a sudden second of betrayal or after years of gradual separation, the emotions of loss can stick with you for a lifetime.
That is the theme of Pieced Collectively, a quiet, charming narrative recreation about greatest buddies Connie and Beth, who meet at college within the Nineteen Nineties and type a direct, seemingly inseparable bond. By way of the ingenious medium of an interactive scrapbook, we play as Connie, glueing in images, notes and reminiscences of her pal after years of separation. The sport begins with a number of makes an attempt to jot down Connie a letter, earlier than we cut-out, stick and kind the story of their lives collectively.
The scrapbook course of is split into chapters of Connie’s life. She strikes to a brand new space along with her mum, and that is marked by means of images of a shifting van, luck card, a label with “Connie’s stuff” written on it that was caught on a field filled with her issues. You place these things on the pages, thereby telling the story. Connie has a birthday quickly after shifting and none of her new classmates settle for an invite to her social gathering besides Beth. There are images of that day, and, later, journeys to London, sleepovers, drawings and notes. Finally, they get by means of exams and holidays till life turns into extra sophisticated.
Typically it’s important to determine which reminiscences go the place – and the method reveals poignant moments of sisterhood. Connie helps Beth along with her schoolwork, Beth helps Connie navigate her feelings and have enjoyable. There are enjoyable little interludes, similar to creating a little bit historical past of cats, and plenty of puzzles the place you may need to determine Connie’s examination timetable or assist information her by means of the Paris catacombs. However all of the when you’re piecing collectively an illustrated historical past of a friendship. In time, there are massive choices to be made and also you get a little bit of a say about how issues are dealt with between the women. However what the sport needs you to know – and what I feel all of us realise – is that some issues in life are inevitable.
What I like concerning the scrapbook format is the best way during which it gently turns the participant into a visible collaborator. You place the images and notes the place you need them, turning them to suit, overlapping them if you happen to like. It’s additionally doable to unlock sticker collections so you may add your personal stylistic prospers to the pages. Sadly, though you may replay chapters after you end, there doesn’t appear to be a approach to revisit your scrapbook, which is a disgrace as I caught a lot of stickers in mine – a course of that gave me extra possession over the story. I assume I’ll must play once more.
Made by a staff of simply 4, headed by Bafta-winning artist and designer Kate Killick, Pieced Collectively is a brief recreation – you may end it in a few hours. However in that point, it packs in an infinite quantity of element about childhood and teenage life within the Nineteen Nineties: filling out journal quizzes, writing nameless love notes, the liberty of first holidays with mates. It additionally cleverly exhibits how, at the same time as we focus extra on our friends, our dad and mom stay a huge emotional affect. A subplot has Connie awkwardly bonding along with her absent father and his new companion, leaning on Beth for assist. It’s a complicated second informed merely by means of notes and pictures, and all of the extra highly effective for it.
From Life Is Unusual to Undertale to Knights and Bikes, unbiased video games have proved a wealthy and evocative medium by means of which to discover the theme of friendship. Pieced Collectively is one other instance, a cautious, stunning little recreation that, in additional methods than one, turns nostalgia into artwork. After ending it, I used to be impressed to contact an previous pal I haven’t spoken to in ages and wasn’t positive I ever would once more. Good video games might be like good friendships: they encourage us to see issues anew.