The Weight Of Emptiness 2024.9.12

The Weight of Emptiness is an emotionally charged, narrative-driven adventure game that delves into themes of loss, mental health, and the consequences of unresolved grief. Set in the intimate setting of a family home, the game follows the journey of Luna, a young girl who, whilst looking for her Dolly, finds herself caught in a web of emotional turmoil after her father's tragic death and the loss of her brother due to her mother’s miscarriage. The game was developed as the final project in my first year of University. The task was to create a game that expressed a strong theme. We had no limitations other than for the duration to be under 10 minutes and the need to convey a strong message. Being my first project and without having the chance to collaborate with any other students, I sourced 3D art, music, sound FX and some elements of the UI; everything else was fully developed by me. The decision to explore the implications of miscarriage in the game was inspired by a lack of representation of this theme in the industry, and I hoped to shine a light on an issue that is very often disregarded and misunderstood by those who surround the people experiencing this. The choice to play most of the game from the viewpoint of an 8-year old represented that, while children may see some things differently, they are very much aware of their surroundings and what is happening around them. At times, they may even experience more compassion than adults. I was conscious to add trigger warnings at the beginning of the game due to the nature and sensitive themes of the game. Every warning features a button that will link the player to further external support, in case they are in need of help or someone to talk to when exploring the themes that the game touches upon.