it doesn't have to be like this

the pitch:

you play a gas station clerk working her shift on the day the earth is destroyed.

a note from the developer:

hi! it doesn't have to be like this turned out to be a little bit more of a personal project for me, than i expected. from the perspective of the main character, gavin, i try to cover ground relating to human connection and the lack thereof in certain scenarios and i've struggled to write up a typical pitch that also reflects the content in way that isn't thematically atonal. so be aware going in that things'll get dark around the edges and if you aren't in the right head-space for it, you might want to hold off on playing this until you are.

also, the irony isn't lost on me, that i chose now of all times to make a game about the end of the world. if the coronavirus pandemic has put you off from apocalypse fiction, maybe also hold off on giving this a shot. i do want to say though, that i have a general distaste for how dour, cynical, bleak, mean-hearted and ideologically shitty most apocalypse fiction can be and, if you play the title, i do hope that's reflected in the work.

thank you & i hope this game finds you well

~ sbb

credits:

• editing: carly riesterer
  
• writing, twine code, css direction & promo art: spencer benjamin baughman

a special thanks to:

• thee silver mt. zion memorial orchestra & tra-la-la band w/ choir
• 65daysofstatic
• the soundtrack to tetris for the phillips cd-i