Existensis is a hand-illustrated philosopher platformer game from the creative spirit of dev Ozzie Sneddon/Librarium Studios. In Existensis you play a masked character known as The Mayor, who is actually an artist. The objective is to gather inspiration in a journal so you can use it to create a tower to represent the journey of life. From situations and interactions with characters spread throughout vaulting platform areas and cities.
You can learn more about your environment and gradually collect enough information/inspiration to enter swirling vortices around certain characters. They will help you teleport somewhere new and completely different so that you can collect even more inspiration. This game is beautiful, mystical, and one of the most interesting games I’ve ever played. Let me take you through it.
Also, this showcase is made possible through collaboration with Indie Game Collective and Librarium Studios. Thank you.
The Beauty of Existensis
I’m not certain still if my taste is refined enough for Existensis, but that is a compliment to the actual game. I enjoy what Existensis has to offer and feel right at home in this ethereal world of inspired souls and brilliant flowing tapestries. Right when I began, I could tell that above all else, this experience deserves accolades for its artistic innovation in gaming. For example, the plethora of fully illustrated characters, including close-ups, is in my opinion a rare and exquisite treat. These aren’t just characters either, they’re like original subconscious archetypes.
There is no shortage of philosophical and even spiritual dialogue among the cast of all communities in over 15 levels to explore. The conversations are like poetry and the art is like a Jungian fantasy. Everything is just so so breathtaking and inviting. This was made as a gift to the player and surely took ages to meticulously design.
Existensis boasts 3-4 hours worth of hand-created gameplay, branching storylines, and alternative endings. There is no game-over or harsh confrontations. Don’t get the impression that this is on autopilot though. You’ll need to think about how to find certain areas, and who to trust when looking for clues for your journal. Be alert but don’t fret. Even if you boof a level you can restart your level at any point and try again!
The Lore of Existensis
In my game session with Existensis, I realized that there is more to the story than obstacles, which is one of my favorite characteristics of games. Actually, there is an entirely unique world. No one seems to be particularly at odds with anybody else, but there is a feeling of deep history with ancient orders and magical constructs.
This aspect ties together the many hodgepodged yet syncretic designs of levels and platforms. You may meet a deity on one path, and a tourist on the other. It’s a very immersive, and compelling experience. If you want to really spend some time with this, and perhaps have a philosophical/mindful video game experience, you can find that here.
Characters get so deep and practically step aside as if their superiority is not particularly urgent. This makes it feel like these spirits have all had plenty of time to work out their issues and establish that reconciliation is complete. And, especially, it makes you feel like you’re in a world that’s somehow handcrafted yet deep with mysteries and paths. That’s pretty amazing, and bold.
A Beautiful Game
This game adheres to no particular denomination or dogma, but there is plenty enough deep content that if you want to play a spiritual video game, you can actually do it there. You don’t even really have to call it spiritual. Philosophical, intellectual, creative, complex. Those words work too.
This is a really cool game, but if you’re on the fence, it has already had glowing reception elsewhere. I love the ability to support this developer, and I reckon you could too.
Thanks so much for taking part in this look at Existensis here at MrDavePizza.com. I have plenty of new content, and tons to work through since my partnership with Indie Game Collective, I have top-notch recommendations regularly, so please have a look around, and come back! Cheers.