Depression Quest

Depression Quest
Developer(s)	Zoe Quinn
Engine	Twine
Platform(s)	Browser, Windows, OS X, Linux
Release date(s)	WW February 14, 2013
Genre(s)	Interactive fiction
Mode(s)	Single-player

Depression Quest is a 2013 interactive fiction game dealing with the subject of depression. It was developed by Zoe Quinn with the Twine engine, and was first released for the web on February 14, 2013.^[1][2][3] It was released on Steam in August 2014.^[4] The game attempts to bridge the gap in understanding between sufferers and non-sufferers of depression by allowing non-sufferers to experience the affliction through the game.^[5] The game and its developer gained an unusually large amount of attention, and subsequently sustained harassment campaigns which resurfaced as part of the Gamergate controversy.^[6]

Gameplay

Screenshot from Depression Quest showing a choice that the player must make, as well as their current status

Depression Quest is an interactive fiction game, which presents descriptions of various situations and prompts the player to choose their response.^[7] In addition, most pages feature a set of still images and atmospheric music.^[1][8] Players assume the role of a depression sufferer, and the story centers on their daily life, including encounters at their work and their relationship with their significant other. The story also features various treatments for depression.^[1] Players are periodically faced with choices that alter the course of the story. To make a choice, the player must click on the corresponding hyperlink.^[7] However, choices are often crossed out and cannot be clicked on, a mechanism that Depression Quest uses to portray the character's mental state and the fact that logical decisions may not be available to them.^[8] Beneath the choices presented to the player are a set of statements about the character, indicating their level of depression, whether or not they are in therapy, and whether or not they are currently on medication.^[9]

The game has 40,000 words of text, and five possible endings.^[10]

Development and release

Depression Quest was first released online as a web browser game on February 14, 2013.^[1][2] Quinn also submitted the game through Steam's Greenlight program and consequently received disparaging comments and hate mail, causing her to withdraw the game from the service.^[11] After receiving positive feedback from players who had played the game and receiving an invitation to Indiecade, she tried Greenlight again. She received further harassment, but felt that she could deal with the stress. "I thought, honestly, I could take the hate if it meant the game could reach somebody who would get something out of it, feel less alone," Quinn stated.^[11]

The game was accepted by Greenlight in January 2014, and was released on Steam in August that year.^[1] Just before the game was due to go live, Quinn learned that American actor Robin Williams had died from a suspected suicide.^[4] She considered delaying the Steam release after hearing the news, as she did not want to be seen as taking advantage of Williams's death.^[1] However, she eventually decided to keep to the original release schedule, as she thought that making the game available was more important than any negative publicity she might receive.^[1] About this decision, Quinn said, "If I was sitting down across a table from someone who asked me, 'How could you release the day Robin Williams took his own life?' I would know how I could answer. ... But if I sat down across from someone who asked, 'How could you hold back on releasing this game when I needed it?' I would feel ashamed."^[4][12]

The game uses a pay-what-you-want pricing model: it is free to play, but players can pay any amount they think is appropriate. Part of the proceeds from the game are sent to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.^[10][13]

Reception

Depression Quest received mostly positive reviews from critics who generally viewed it as not being intended for entertainment but education. Jessica Vasquez, writing for Game Revolution, praised the game's portrayal of how sufferers are affected by depression, and expressed optimism in its potential to educate people about the disease.^[8] Writing for Gizmag, Adam Williams called the experience of Depression Quest to be "dark and compelling". He added that he did not find the game fun to play, and that "it's certainly no Super Mario Brothers, but that's probably the point".^[10] Tim Biggs, writing for the Sydney Morning Herald, also stressed the lack of fun in the game, and went on to say that the game was "a testing and, at times, a boring experience to go through". However, he praised the game's execution, and acknowledged its importance as a tool for raising awareness of depression and for helping its sufferers.^[14]

Writing in Ars Technica, Kyle Orland called Depression Quest "one of the most gripping and educational views on the subject [of depression]".^[7] Adam Smith, in Rock, Paper, Shotgun, wrote that Depression Quest was "'game' as communication, comfort and tool of understanding".^[15] In Giant Bomb, Patrick Klepek praised Depression Quest‍ '​s writing, and said that "by the end, [he] was able to say [he] understood depression a bit better". He also warns players not to expect the game to be enjoyable, saying: "Playing Depression Quest isn't 'fun', like watching Schindler's List isn't 'enjoyable'. They're important for different reasons, and it's okay if they exist for the small audiences who will appreciate them as they are."^[16] Depression Quest developer Zoe Quinn also headed a Playboy article which featured several video games dealing directly with the subjective experience of depression, in which she noted "I'm very interested in games that aren't there to make the player feel exceptional."^[17]

The Daily Dot has said that 4chan video board bombarded the Metacritic site with negative reviews.^[18]

References

External links

• Official game website
• Steam store page