Abstract

Stories surround us our whole lives. They inspire us, make us cry, and make us laugh. As I've grown older, I've come to realize that mental illness has also surrounded me my whole life. I wondered how they've informed each other. How has fiction influenced my mental health and how has my mental health influenced the way I experience and analyze fiction. Particularly, how it influences the characters that I relate to. I've observed that people with mental illnesses tend to connect to morally grey characters, such as villains or anti-heroes, because they can relate to the feeling of struggling or living in an unjust world. Redemption stories in particular are very powerful because they show that just because you've made a mistake or are flawed in some way doesn't mean you can't still build a future for yourself. However, modern media has forsaken interesting redemption arcs in favor of the "redemption equals death" trope, which is where in order for a character to be redeemed they must sacrifice their life. What kind of message does this send to people who identify with these characters, such as people with mental illnesses? Out of a growing frustration with this trope, and a desire to create a game from an alternate perspective, I decided to make Impressions of Eirhöd. This story follows the villain of a fictional world after they have defeated the hero. They are wounded and must recover in the same village they have destroyed. While begrudgingly helping the villagers rebuild, the main character forges genuine bonds as they heal both their physical and mental wounds. A lot of the story is an allegory for my own experiences with mental illness. My desire is that this story will be a positive influence in people's lives and give them hope for their own futures.

Research

Technical Details

Game made in Godot Engine using the Dialogic plugin. Art made in Clip Studio Paint.