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''Depression Quest'' is an interactive fiction game, which presents descriptions of various situations and prompts the player to choose their response.<ref name="ArsTechnica">{{cite web|url=http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/08/what-depression-quest-taught-me-about-dealing-with-mental-illness/|title=What Depression Quest taught me about dealing with mental illness|publisher=Ars Technica|last=Orland|first=Kyle|date=August 22, 2014|accessdate=August 23, 2014}}</ref> In addition, most pages feature a set of still images and atmospheric music.<ref name="GamePolitics" /><ref name="GameRevolution">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/manifesto/why-depression-quest-matters-27657|title=Why Depression Quest Matters|publisher=Game Revolution|last=Vazquez|first=Jessica|date=August 14, 2014|accessdate=August 23, 2014}}</ref> Players assume the role of a depression sufferer, and the story centers around their daily life, including encounters at their work and their relationship with their significant other. The story also features various treatments for depression.<ref name="GamePolitics" /> Players are periodically faced with choices that alter the course of the story. To make a choice, the player must click on the corresponding ].<ref name="ArsTechnica" /> However, choices are often crossed out and cannot be clicked on, a mechanism that ''Depression Quest'' uses to portray the character's mental state and the fact that logical decisions may not be available to them.<ref name="GameRevolution" /> Beneath the choices presented to the player are a set of statements about the character, indicating their level of depression, whether or not they are in therapy, and whether or not they are currently on medication.<ref name="PasteMagazine">{{cite web|url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2013/02/depression-quest-review-pcmaclinux.html|title=Depression Quest Review|publisher=Paste Magazine|last=Velocci|first=Carli|date=February 21, 2013|accessdate=August 31, 2014}}</ref> ''Depression Quest'' is an interactive fiction "game" with no actual gameplay, which presents descriptions of various situations and prompts the player to choose their response.<ref name="ArsTechnica">{{cite web|url=http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/08/what-depression-quest-taught-me-about-dealing-with-mental-illness/|title=What Depression Quest taught me about dealing with mental illness|publisher=Ars Technica|last=Orland|first=Kyle|date=August 22, 2014|accessdate=August 23, 2014}}</ref> In addition, most pages feature a set of still images and atmospheric music.<ref name="GamePolitics" /><ref name="GameRevolution">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/manifesto/why-depression-quest-matters-27657|title=Why Depression Quest Matters|publisher=Game Revolution|last=Vazquez|first=Jessica|date=August 14, 2014|accessdate=August 23, 2014}}</ref> Players "assume" the role (debatable, there is no real "role" to speak of as all interaction is merely clicking one of a few options after a sentence or two of "story". At least traditional choose your own adventure games had actual story and dialogue) of a depression sufferer, and the story centers around their daily life, including encounters at their work and their relationship with their significant other. The story also features various treatments for depression.<ref name="GamePolitics" /> Players are periodically faced with choices that alter the course of the story. To make a choice, the player must click on the corresponding ].<ref name="ArsTechnica" /> However, choices are often crossed out and cannot be clicked on, a mechanism that ''Depression Quest'' uses to portray the character's mental state and the fact that logical decisions may not be available to them, and because Quinn is not very talented and could only produce a very linear game despite presenting it otherwise.<ref name="GameRevolution" /> Beneath the choices presented to the player are a set of statements about the character, indicating their level of depression (because depression has levels, obviously, it's like a super fun game in real life! /s), whether or not they are in therapy, and whether or not they are currently on medication.<ref name="PasteMagazine">{{cite web|url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2013/02/depression-quest-review-pcmaclinux.html|title=Depression Quest Review|publisher=Paste Magazine|last=Velocci|first=Carli|date=February 21, 2013|accessdate=August 31, 2014}}</ref>


The game features 40,000 words of text, and five possible endings. It can be completed in a few hours.<ref name="GizMag" /> The game features 40,000 words of text (a typical, linear thriller novel has 100,000 words), and five possible endings (Heavy Rain has 18, even Tekken and Street Fighter games have more). It can be completed in a few hours (few = around 5, similar to CoD. A good story driven game should run for at least 10 hours) .<ref name="GizMag" />


== Development and release == == Development and release ==

Revision as of 19:00, 6 September 2014

Video game
Depression Quest
[REDACTED]
Developer(s)Zoe Quinn
EngineTwine
Platform(s)Browser game, Steam
Genre(s)Interactive fiction
Mode(s)Single-player

Depression Quest is a 2013 interactive fiction dealing with the subject of depression. It was developed by Zoe Quinn with the Twine engine, and was first released for the web on February 14, 2013. It was released on Steam in August 2014. The game attempts to bridge the gap in understanding between sufferers and non-sufferers of depression. It aims to show non-sufferers the burden of living with the affliction, and to show sufferers that depression is not something that has to be suffered alone.

Gameplay

Screenshot from Depression Quest showing a choice that the player must make, as well as their current status

Depression Quest is an interactive fiction "game" with no actual gameplay, which presents descriptions of various situations and prompts the player to choose their response. In addition, most pages feature a set of still images and atmospheric music. Players "assume" the role (debatable, there is no real "role" to speak of as all interaction is merely clicking one of a few options after a sentence or two of "story". At least traditional choose your own adventure games had actual story and dialogue) of a depression sufferer, and the story centers around their daily life, including encounters at their work and their relationship with their significant other. The story also features various treatments for depression. Players are periodically faced with choices that alter the course of the story. To make a choice, the player must click on the corresponding hyperlink. However, choices are often crossed out and cannot be clicked on, a mechanism that Depression Quest uses to portray the character's mental state and the fact that logical decisions may not be available to them, and because Quinn is not very talented and could only produce a very linear game despite presenting it otherwise. Beneath the choices presented to the player are a set of statements about the character, indicating their level of depression (because depression has levels, obviously, it's like a super fun game in real life! /s), whether or not they are in therapy, and whether or not they are currently on medication.

The game features 40,000 words of text (a typical, linear thriller novel has 100,000 words), and five possible endings (Heavy Rain has 18, even Tekken and Street Fighter games have more). It can be completed in a few hours (few = around 5, similar to CoD. A good story driven game should run for at least 10 hours) .

Development and release

Depression Quest was first released as a web browser game on February 14, 2013. Quinn also submitted the game through Steam's Greenlight program and consequently received disparaging comments and hate mail, causing her to withdraw the game from the service. After receiving positive feedback from players who had played the game and receiving an invitation to Indiecade, she tried Greenlight again. She received further harassment, but felt that she could deal with the stress. "I thought, honestly, I could take the hate if it meant the game could reach somebody who would get something out of it, feel less alone," Quinn stated.

The game was accepted by Greenlight in January 2014, and was released on Steam in August that year. Just before the game was due to go live, Quinn learned that American actor Robin Williams had died from a suspected suicide. She considered delaying the Steam release after hearing the news, as she did not want to be seen as taking advantage of Williams's death. However, she eventually decided to keep to the original release schedule, as she thought that making the game available was more important than any negative publicity she might receive. About this decision, Quinn said, "If I was sitting down across a table from someone who asked me, 'How could you release the day Robin Williams took his own life?' I would know how I could answer. ... But if I sat down across from someone who asked, 'How could you hold back on releasing this game when I needed it?' I would feel ashamed."

The game uses a pay-what-you-want pricing model: it is free to play, but players can pay any amount they think is appropriate. Part of the proceeds from the game are sent to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Reception

Depression Quest received mostly positive reviews from critics. Jessica Vasquez, writing for Game Revolution, praised the game's portayal of how sufferers are affected by depression, and expressed optimism in its potential to educate people about the disease. Writing for Gizmag, Adam Williams called the experience of Depression Quest to be "dark and compelling". He added that he did not find the game fun to play, and that "it's certainly no Super Mario Brothers, but that's probably the point." Tim Biggs, writing for the Sydney Morning Herald, also stressed the lack of fun in the game, and went on to say that the game was "a testing and, at times, a boring experience to go through." However, he praised the game's execution, and acknowledged its importance as a tool for raising awareness of depression and for helping its sufferers.

Writing in Ars Technica, Kyle Orland called Depression Quest "one of the most gripping and educational views on the subject ". Adam Smith, in Rock, Paper, Shotgun, wrote that Depression Quest was "'game' as communication, comfort and tool of understanding". In Giant Bomb, Patrick Klepek praised Depression Quest's writing, and said that "by the end, was able to say understood depression a bit better." He also warns players not to expect the game to be enjoyable, saying, "Playing Depression Quest isn't 'fun,' like watching Schindler's List isn't 'enjoyable.' They're important for different reasons, and it's okay if they exist for the small audiences who will appreciate them as they are."

The game has received overwhelmingly negative user reviews on Metacritic, which The Daily Dot attributed to efforts organised on 4chan boards to bombard the site with negative reviews.

References

  1. ^ "'Depression Quest' Now Available on Steam". Game Politics. August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  2. Robertson, Adi (August 15, 2014). "Play this: 'Bad Paper,' a journalistic choose your own adventure story about debt collection". Yahoo News. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  3. ^ Thier, Dave (August 14, 2014). "'Depression Quest' Free In Wake Of Robin Williams' Suicide". Forbes. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  4. Williams, Katie (August 14, 2014). "Depression Quest Now Available for Free on Steam". IGN. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  5. ^ Orland, Kyle (August 22, 2014). "What Depression Quest taught me about dealing with mental illness". Ars Technica. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  6. ^ Vazquez, Jessica (August 14, 2014). "Why Depression Quest Matters". Game Revolution. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  7. Velocci, Carli (February 21, 2013). "Depression Quest Review". Paste Magazine. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  8. ^ Williams, adam (August 25, 2014). "Text adventure game Depression Quest explores mental health issues". Gizmag. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  9. ^ Kotzer, Zach. "Female Game Designers Are Being Threatened With Rape". Vice. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  10. Quinn, Zoe. "Releasing Depression Quest on Steam Today". Tumblr. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  11. Crawley, Dan (August 12, 2014). "Depression Quest gets a quiet, but timely, release on Steam". Venture Beat. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  12. Biggs, Tim (August 15, 2014). "Latest game releases: Road Not Taken, Hohokum, Metrico". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  13. Smith, Adam (February 14, 2013). "Mostly Indescribable: Depression Quest". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  14. Klepek, Patrick (April 10, 2013). "They Made a Game That Understands Me". Giant Bomb. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  15. "Depression Quest". Metacritic. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  16. Romano, Aja. "The sexist crusade to destroy game developer Zoe Quinn". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 2 September 2014.

External links

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