In Between (PC)

Playing video games, you get so used to dying that you don’t even think about it – after all, you can usually just come back to life and start over. In Between is a game that does want you to think about it, though, by focusing on the process of dying, with emotional repercussions for the whole game. The title is the result of a bachelor’s thesis, the brainchild of German college student Daniel Denne, co-founder of the development studio Gentlymad. In Between received several awards even before it was officially released on August 21st, including the international Red Dot Award and first place in the “Best Up-and-Coming Talent” category at the German Video Game Awards. Keep reading to find out how well we think the developers managed to turn this sensitive topic into a video game.

A Dying Man Looks Back

Of course the man in the wheelchair doesn’t really regain the ability to walk from one moment to the next. Rather, what you’re looking at is the allegorical journey taking place inside of one man’s head as he struggles to face the inescapable reality that he is going to die soon, looking over the life he’s lived and trying to make sense of it all. The game takes the players through five phases illustrating the five stages of grief as described by Swiss-American psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, whereby a person goes through Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance when attempting to come to terms with tragedy. Each segment is introduced by a short back story that sheds more light on the man’s life. After this, you have to take the man through a series of rooms, with a portal at the end of each one leading to the next segment. Careful though – there are spikes all over the floors and walls, and touching them will cause the whole room to break apart, forcing you to start over. You’ll also have to activate switches, move blocks, and avoid certain objects.

When the Ground Falls Out From Under Your Feet

Since each chapter is meant to embody one of the states of grief, each one has its own visual style. In “Denial”, for example, the screen is in constant danger of being engulfed by an encroaching blackness that represents the fear felt by the protagonist. When you look in its direction – i.e. when you face down your fears – the darkness begins to subside, at least until you turn your back on it again. This forces you to move quickly as you try to reach the portal. In the second chapter, “Anger”, pulsating balls of energy representing the character’s inner feelings of anger flit about the room, and you have to avoid them. New elements show up from time to time, which you will have to interact with in some way within the context of the room you’re in. For example, in one part you have to line up a block with a human face, which reverses the gravity whenever you do it.

Using Simple Means to Great Effect

I really liked how certain elements are illuminated within the individual levels, in stark contrast to the game’s otherwise dark and muted tones, highlighting the fact that they’re special. In one level there’s a bright screen displaying an EKG readout. In another level you can see the x-ray of a lung. These elements, which stand out in the dying man’s mind as particularly vivid memories, aren’t there to break up the monotony of the level design – rather, they’re there to shed more light on important milestones in the man’s life. For example, there’s one scene from the man’s childhood where he gets a dog for his birthday. Another one shows him reading under a tree while leaves fall to the ground one by one. And there’s the one where he recollects the first kiss he ever shared with his wife – a very touching scene. Watching all this really gives you a sense of empathy for the poor man facing these dismal circumstances.

The particular emotional experience that In Between manages to create is also due in part to the off-screen narrator, who is able to convey the thoughts and feelings of a dying man in a way that is easy to understand and sympathize with as he struggles to come to terms with his inevitable fate, often confronting players with difficult questions they might have never asked themselves. The music also plays a significant part in bringing the game’s extraordinary premise to life, underscoring the individual stops along the protagonist’s odyssey of the mind in a dynamic and powerful fashion.