unfolding (Casey Ramos)

Game Summary

Step into the shoes of a synesthete in this dawn-to-dusk experiential anthology set in New York City. Interact with strangers on the train, text friends and family, and watch the world reflect back at you. Take pause at meaningful moments, sit back, and unfold. 

Genre

Unfolding is a story-based anthology game.

Gameplay Tip

Play in full screen and turn the volume up for the full experience.

Content warning for descriptions of street harassment, mental health conditions, and familial tension. 

Design, writing, and code by Casey Ramos.

      Twitter: @caseydovar

      Email: cgaramos.nyc [at] gmail [dot] com

Words from the Creator

It’d be strange to publish such a personal project without saying hello! 

I created Unfolding as a challenge to myself to capture a snippet of my everyday experience and gamify it. 

The theme of the game jam had me reflecting on my experience not only as a Latina womxn, but as someone who carries multiple identities throughout my every day. Even with something as seemingly fun as synesthesia, reality is not always harmonious, and it’s not always beautiful. I tried to encapsulate that with the variety of experiences our main character goes through. Every interaction, no matter how ridiculous or terrifying, is inspired by a true story.

As a Latina/Pacific Islander bisexual womxn who has synesthesia and vitiligo, I’ve always felt like too tall of an order to be a film or video game character. The truth is, though, that there are so many people like me who navigate multifaceted worlds, and we shouldn’t let our stories go untold because of it. So here’s my shot at it.

Thank you to the Latinx in Gaming’s UNIDOS Game Jam for inspiring the creation of this game!

Cover and Icon Art Attribution

• Origami icon made by Freepik at flaticon.com
• Flock of Birds by Joe Looney from the Noun Project
• Bird by Lluisa Iborra from the Noun Project
• Birds by Valeriy from the Noun Project
• Bird by Victor Llavata Bartual from the Noun Project
• skyline by kareemov1000 from the Noun Project
• skyline by iconesia from the Noun Project
• skyline by RULI from the Noun Project
• skyline by Verena Gutentag from the Noun Project
• skyline by corona pop from the Noun Project