The power of metaphor

Passage is an interactive metaphor for life and relationships.

Make your choice

This little free game has you walking down a narrow path. In front of you everything is hazy, and there is little behind you. You can walk forward and explore up and down into unseen parts of the world. There are obstacles and walls, but nothing that really stops your progress as you make your way through the game’s simple – for want of a better word – maze.

As you go, you collect various chests that give you rewards. Then, as your character starts to age, you notice that more of your path is behind you than there is in front, and eventually you die.

Worth it

There is one twist in all this, along the way you can meet a partner. Running into them sees a huge heart appear and suddenly you are in love – okay, that bit may not be that realistic. The thing is, having someone with you makes the journey less lonely, you can find bigger rewards, and the whole thing becomes a little less claustrophobic.

But there is a trade-off. By being partnered the journey is slower and you are less nimble. Suddenly you can’t fit through those narrower gaps, and instead must find new ways to make your way forward. Plus, depressingly, eventually when the journey is almost over your partner can die – which can plunge you into a strange loneliness.

Power in play

With its low res-graphics may not be the most detailed game, but that doesn’t stop the emotional power of Passage. By forming a relationship you must make a true trade-off, as in life. But if you want the benefits of a relationship, you must be prepared to put up with its inconveniences.