Amidst all the looter-shooters that have come out in the last decade or longer, it can be easy to forget that video games are an art form. A lot of the review criticism right now seems to stem from forgetting this idea and that a project is sometimes more than its issues. It’s a negative cycle that will ultimately lead to worse games if not corrected.
In that way, it’s much like recurring intrusive thoughts, always there at the most vaguely related prompt. It can be hard to recognize it happening until you’re already spiraling deeper, eventually leading to an extended stay in your bed. It’s astounding how well Unwording is able to capture this feeling and it really feels like it was made by someone who understands.
Be warned that it’s a short game, between 1.5 and 2 hours, and it doesn’t keep anything from you, with the message being the most important part it tries to drive home. On top of that, the mechanics and art are praiseworthy, even if it does show flaws in some places. It’s a worthwhile journey that makes clear the line between gaming and art is nonexistent.
We’ve all been there
You start out as you likely do most days, snuggled up in bed fighting every urge to move and get on with your day. Immediately, you are faced with the first of three puzzle mechanics that emerge throughout the game, each being an evolution of the one before it. The first third of the game deals with what those negative thoughts are like when they’re at their worst.
When attempting to get out of bed for the first time, players will be shown a game mechanic where they must use letters to form thoughts. These thoughts are negative associations that the character makes based on their perception of things in the world. This can mean a lack of a car makes them feel poor, a dinner for two ad makes them lonely, and hearing people whisper makes them worry it’s about them.
The ease at which most of the answers came to me as someone with constant negative thoughts was astounding and likely very telling, unfortunately. Players will form these words or phrases by rotating one or two square blocks, with special rules therein. The game doesn’t make this puzzle any harder than it needs to be, offering up to two hints and locking in most letters when you get them right.
The world in the first chapter is a very flat, colorless 2D world where negative thoughts get in because you’re unable to change your perspective. However, when a little yellow bird finds your character, you initially push it away, but it works its way in nonetheless. This little bird works as positivity I’m pretty sure, forcing you to do things like get out of bed to wash your sheets and stay away from your phone for the rest of the game.
By the end of the first chapter, you’ll likely wonder whether this game is trying to teach you something about negative thoughts or just give you more of them. After that, things begin to change due to the small actions you’ve taken, with it all needing to start somewhere.
Try a new perspective
The next chapter starts when players are forced into a new perspective, literally seeing the world with new dimensions. This and the subsequent transformation is the most accurate depiction of coming out of a severe episode of anxiety or depression that I’ve ever felt represented in games. Not only are you able to see your worries from a new perspective, but the world as a whole becomes a more full place.
As a piece of art, Unwording is one of the best experiences I’ve played in a long time in its ability to capture what it’s like to have a human brain. As a game, there’s a narrative that uses the mechanics with its message pretty well in a way that’s easy to understand what it’s saying. Players who like puzzles involving words will likely find a lot to enjoy in the first two acts.
The third and last act has me confused because, while it’s another evolution, the new game that proposes itself is so open that I could spend all day trying different prompts. It reminds me a lot of Façade in that I was tempted to just keep trying new things at every opportunity to see how the game reacted. It’s such a cool thing to add and makes sense in context, but it does feel limited in its execution from what I could tell.
The game isn’t the most exciting thing that players will experience, so don’t go into it looking for that. Unwording is mostly a sidescroller with only a few puzzles of each type, so it’s more about the message it’s trying to get across. Because of that, the game is worth getting through despite the few minor issues there are with controls or collisions, especially given the size of the team.
The game finishes on an optimistic note, showing that the small steps we take in a single day to improve our lives can add up to more peaceful moments. When we take the time to understand things from new perspectives, especially negative thoughts or obsessions, we open ourselves to new opportunities.
It’s not over, but it’s a start
The Final Word
It’s hard to overstate the importance of a game that can properly show people what it’s like to deal with mental illness, but Unwording nails it. It may not be perfect, but Frostwood Interactive has delivered exactly what it promised and it should be experienced by anyone with slight interest. It’s as much a mental health resource as it is a game, and that deserves some serious acknowledgment.
Unwording was reviewed on the PC. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles in the Game Reviews section of our website! Unwording is available on PC via Steam or GOG.
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