I think the story is about struggling with social interations and fearing the world outside. Embry is a kid afraid of the world and the people in it (maybe because of a bad experience with the outside like bullying), and has locked himself in an imaginary bubble to isolate himself from all if it. He then created a routine to set a goal for himself without having to truly go out. The basement represent the way out of this bubble, and that's why Embry is afraid of it. So he created the whole monsters and feeding deal to distance himself from the problem, stating that the basement itself is the problem. The food represent Embry's denial, and it slowly running out represent Embry who is slowly realizing that he is getting nowhere with that.
Embry's parents fate isn't clear, but if I go with the story not being real, I would say the parents's absence represents Embry shutting himself from the world. We only see the parents two times, and each time they are educating Embry. But those advices they give him are always related to the whole basement deal. His mother tells him he need to bring constant care in order to keep the plants alive, and his father tells him his paint give him an anchor he can always go back to when he's feeling down. The fact that we have no other interactions with them signify Embry discarded everything else and kept only the advices reassuring him about his situation, interpreting those to feed his denial. He works to keep his routine alive, and said routine give him comfort about himself.
Then there is the basement scene with the parents calling out Embry. I think this represents their efforts to get Embry out of her bubble. The mother try a gentle approach as to not scare Embry, but it doesn't work. Then the father try a harsher approach, but Embry doesn't listen yet again, denying the whole thing as "monsters" trying to bait him. Then his own voice come from the door. This is his own subconscious calling out, showing that Embry actually wants to get out, but his fear of the outside won't let him do that.
People at the market are just worried about Embry, but he keep pushing them back because he clings to his routine. The doctor represent someone kind enough to actually go out of his way to help him. On the way home, Embry keep trying to shoo him away, but he won't leave. I think the doctor falling in the basement is way more than that. For him, the basement represent nothing, but he see that Embry is deeply afraid of it. Embry throws a tantrum when he insists on going in, and him falling into the basement represents not his death, but him finally giving up after Embry violently pushed him back and taking his leave.. Hence why Embry is crying after his departure : he wants to be helped, but is too afraid of leaving his bubble. A small detail being that he cries until his routine calls him back, his line sounding like a premade routine line ("Look at that, it's time for bed already").
The nightmare sequence is Embry's subconscious confronting him, and presenting him with 2 truths represented by the monsters he so dread. The monster in the basement in the routine incarnated as Embry himself. He created this monster, and the monster feeds on his denial, never having enough, and it will consume her over time while Embry is using it as a scapegoat to avoid confronting the truth. The doctor represents his guilt about making him leave. He warns Embry that if he keep on pushing people back, they will ultimately stop trying, deeming Embry as not worth the trouble. And then, no one will come to help anymore, represented by the faceless visage under the mask of the doctor, and loneliness will consume Embry.
Finally, after this nightmare, Embry realize the truth, and declare that all of this has gone far too long. At this point, there isn't any food left, and thus no more denial. Embry finally find the will to enter the basement, and by doing so, leave his bubble and is off to live his life.
Aaa!! This is beautiful! It makes so much sense, but don't forget Embry is Non-Binary. I'm not saying Enby's can't use she/her he/him pronouns, I just wanted to let you know ^^ /nm /pos /gen
I literally made an account just for this but OH MY GOD THIS GAME IS INCREDIBLE!! I love it so much, it wasn’t too long and wasn’t to short, it was perfect! You know a game is good when it makes me cry😩. I loved the representation with an nb character as well! I’ll definitely play this again, and I’m gonna play the other games made by you because they look just as good! Tysm for creating this masterpiece.
The comments of itch.io videogames arent really supposed to be rid with spoilers especially if the game is new. Also you give a warning before spoiling. Otherwise you're just going to ruin someone's day
click on the top room while still at the top of the ladder, i did this by accident and first was confused, i thought it was a feature in the game, but i realized i can do nothing in there, here's a screenshot of my gameplay btw
LOVED IT! These cute-but-twisted games are some of my very favorite horror experiences, primarily because of both the unexpected, and a touch of the bizarre. It’s always fun to play a game that has so much more going on than what we’ve been led to believe. I wish this all the success in the world, and can’t wait to see what you do next.
i would say it was mean, but no need to get mad over me and try to get a roast about me playing roblox in 2021, like, so many people literally roasts me for playing a game..
do you plan on taking this story any further with another game or something like that? i really like the story and the characters and i would love to know what happens to embry in the basement! keep up the good work!! you’ve made an amazing game<3
This game was amazing! I can't stop thinking about what the monsters could possibly represent or mean. This game is by far one of the favorites I've played on itch and I'm sure will be for some time!
I also did a video if you want to take a look at my experience!
Just finished playing this game and I enjoyed it! You can really see how Embry is really just a lost kid in this one. Also, I wouldn't be surprised to see Dr. Light fanarts doing a what's under the mask reveal.
Oh and here's the gameplay if you're interested!
I might have to check out some theories and interpretations in the comments!
are there any ways to access like- the sprites or any pictures from the game? i really like the style and it makes me super happy-- i just wanna. stare. please an thank you :3
I only just finished watching a gameplay of this game and I have to say I’m instantly hooked i’ll probably play it whenever I have a chance to because I don’t think you can play it on iPad if you can then cool, but after finishing that entire thing I really feel like getting into 3-D modeling so I can make a 3-D model of Embry and maybe even the rest of the characters if possible with a little reference there is, anyway keep doing what you’re doing if you make another one of these I’ll be happy to see it ^^
Dr. D. Light is such a cute and good character. He actually tries to help Embry and you can see how he really cares about others and tries to make Embry happy.
Even in the nightmere, when he "became" a monster, he literally says: "They might be as not as forgiving as me...", which means he probably forgave Embry for "killing" him, which makes me think that his jumpscare is just for gameplay purposes.
In the end, Dr. D. Light is a hero who really tried to help Endry, but he died while trying to do so.
But, in the end, we already know it, good guys always die.
← Return to game
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
I think the story is about struggling with social interations and fearing the world outside. Embry is a kid afraid of the world and the people in it (maybe because of a bad experience with the outside like bullying), and has locked himself in an imaginary bubble to isolate himself from all if it. He then created a routine to set a goal for himself without having to truly go out. The basement represent the way out of this bubble, and that's why Embry is afraid of it. So he created the whole monsters and feeding deal to distance himself from the problem, stating that the basement itself is the problem. The food represent Embry's denial, and it slowly running out represent Embry who is slowly realizing that he is getting nowhere with that.
Embry's parents fate isn't clear, but if I go with the story not being real, I would say the parents's absence represents Embry shutting himself from the world. We only see the parents two times, and each time they are educating Embry. But those advices they give him are always related to the whole basement deal. His mother tells him he need to bring constant care in order to keep the plants alive, and his father tells him his paint give him an anchor he can always go back to when he's feeling down. The fact that we have no other interactions with them signify Embry discarded everything else and kept only the advices reassuring him about his situation, interpreting those to feed his denial. He works to keep his routine alive, and said routine give him comfort about himself.
Then there is the basement scene with the parents calling out Embry. I think this represents their efforts to get Embry out of her bubble. The mother try a gentle approach as to not scare Embry, but it doesn't work. Then the father try a harsher approach, but Embry doesn't listen yet again, denying the whole thing as "monsters" trying to bait him. Then his own voice come from the door. This is his own subconscious calling out, showing that Embry actually wants to get out, but his fear of the outside won't let him do that.
People at the market are just worried about Embry, but he keep pushing them back because he clings to his routine. The doctor represent someone kind enough to actually go out of his way to help him. On the way home, Embry keep trying to shoo him away, but he won't leave. I think the doctor falling in the basement is way more than that. For him, the basement represent nothing, but he see that Embry is deeply afraid of it. Embry throws a tantrum when he insists on going in, and him falling into the basement represents not his death, but him finally giving up after Embry violently pushed him back and taking his leave.. Hence why Embry is crying after his departure : he wants to be helped, but is too afraid of leaving his bubble. A small detail being that he cries until his routine calls him back, his line sounding like a premade routine line ("Look at that, it's time for bed already").
The nightmare sequence is Embry's subconscious confronting him, and presenting him with 2 truths represented by the monsters he so dread. The monster in the basement in the routine incarnated as Embry himself. He created this monster, and the monster feeds on his denial, never having enough, and it will consume her over time while Embry is using it as a scapegoat to avoid confronting the truth. The doctor represents his guilt about making him leave. He warns Embry that if he keep on pushing people back, they will ultimately stop trying, deeming Embry as not worth the trouble. And then, no one will come to help anymore, represented by the faceless visage under the mask of the doctor, and loneliness will consume Embry.
Finally, after this nightmare, Embry realize the truth, and declare that all of this has gone far too long. At this point, there isn't any food left, and thus no more denial. Embry finally find the will to enter the basement, and by doing so, leave his bubble and is off to live his life.
that actually makes a lot of sense :0
i actually really like this theory and i agree with it, but just warning that Embry goes by them/them pronouns! they're non-binary. ^^
Aaa!! This is beautiful! It makes so much sense, but don't forget Embry is Non-Binary. I'm not saying Enby's can't use she/her he/him pronouns, I just wanted to let you know ^^ /nm /pos /gen
I like this theory because it would mean that Dr. D. Light isn't dead
This is GORGEOUS! Absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I love this so very much, thank you for all your support! I'm so happy you enjoyed the game!<3
Omg! This is absolutely beautiful! You are so talented :3 i love it!~
i swear if there be any Gacha Heat/Rule 34 of Embry i'm going on a rampage
Fr I will commit murder if I see anything like that
go on, i respect your opinion
I will too
how do i get past the kitceh i got bread and jelly but what d i do
If u haven't figured it out yet u need to get the peanut butter
ohhhhhhh
I literally made an account just for this but OH MY GOD THIS GAME IS INCREDIBLE!! I love it so much, it wasn’t too long and wasn’t to short, it was perfect! You know a game is good when it makes me cry😩. I loved the representation with an nb character as well! I’ll definitely play this again, and I’m gonna play the other games made by you because they look just as good! Tysm for creating this masterpiece.
so good, love the design and all!
Beat the game and it is awesome. I felt sorry when Dr. D. Light died 😥. Is there gonna be a part 2?
dont spoil
your fault for looking at the comments before you installed and played the game
The comments of itch.io videogames arent really supposed to be rid with spoilers especially if the game is new. Also you give a warning before spoiling. Otherwise you're just going to ruin someone's day
i hated that part
I have a save file in memory of him. RIP Dr. D. Light you will be missed.
WHAT?
HOW?
click on the top room while still at the top of the ladder, i did this by accident and first was confused, i thought it was a feature in the game, but i realized i can do nothing in there, here's a screenshot of my gameplay btw
XDD
print("XD")Y O U R W E A K
so relatable
Y E S-
i love your games, can you do it in spanish? that would help me a lot
Of course, one new idiom in, what 5 days?
burnned
Great game!
like dude the ending is just so shocking
so true man, i just said holy fucking hell when i saw the ending
and yeah i was terrified lmao
okay they game is Amazing i like it UwU
just to know will there be more of this game ? or that's it ? OwO
you should stop trying to be cute on the internet by being a doggo
ho...i don't know if it was nice or mean but thanks Anyway ^w^
i would say it was mean, but no need to get mad over me and try to get a roast about me playing roblox in 2021, like, so many people literally roasts me for playing a game..
wow
Why not Roblox is nice lol
HOW ARE YOU GUYS GETING TO PLAY :((((
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE
sorry, its not working and I REALY want to play thissssss :(((
Use windows10
do you plan on taking this story any further with another game or something like that? i really like the story and the characters and i would love to know what happens to embry in the basement! keep up the good work!! you’ve made an amazing game<3
This game was amazing! I can't stop thinking about what the monsters could possibly represent or mean. This game is by far one of the favorites I've played on itch and I'm sure will be for some time!
I also did a video if you want to take a look at my experience!
dr. Light is the besttt he just seems like a good kind person who wants to help but maybe got the short end of the stick
i know, right?! He really didnt deserve what happend. Pooe guy :c
Show post...
REALLY GREAT GAME DEV
Just finished playing this game and I enjoyed it! You can really see how Embry is really just a lost kid in this one. Also, I wouldn't be surprised to see Dr. Light fanarts doing a what's under the mask reveal.
Oh and here's the gameplay if you're interested!
I might have to check out some theories and interpretations in the comments!
are there any ways to access like- the sprites or any pictures from the game? i really like the style and it makes me super happy-- i just wanna. stare. please an thank you :3
also congrats this is now a comfort game of mine
I only just finished watching a gameplay of this game and I have to say I’m instantly hooked i’ll probably play it whenever I have a chance to because I don’t think you can play it on iPad if you can then cool, but after finishing that entire thing I really feel like getting into 3-D modeling so I can make a 3-D model of Embry and maybe even the rest of the characters if possible with a little reference there is, anyway keep doing what you’re doing if you make another one of these I’ll be happy to see it ^^
would it be too boring to see someone play the game then play the game
Dr. D. Light is such a cute and good character. He actually tries to help Embry and you can see how he really cares about others and tries to make Embry happy.
Even in the nightmere, when he "became" a monster, he literally says: "They might be as not as forgiving as me...", which means he probably forgave Embry for "killing" him, which makes me think that his jumpscare is just for gameplay purposes.
In the end, Dr. D. Light is a hero who really tried to help Endry, but he died while trying to do so.
But, in the end, we already know it, good guys always die.
oh no XD
LMAO
ALWAYS HAS BEEN *PUSHES*
i love how people are already making memes, so goddamn funny
Depends on how much it scares you
i would say 13+ ig
AMAZING :D
ahh played it a few mins ago and it was amazingg :0 and the artstyle is soo cute <33
This KILLED me on the spot thank you for this, I love it!
I literally cried for Dr. D. Light
Lmao
no one at all:
Me: indescribable joy at how the doctor's eye changes color based on the direction he's facing
man ı just watched a gameplay from biju mike (sorry if ı got his name wrong)
ı think itll be really cool for us to save the doctor ı felt bad for him :,(
alsoooo well done whit the game!
ı made an account just to write this
I wish it had web browser
i want an happy end ;-; please i cried a lotttt
Good job with this! I love the cool little world you created, and the artwork is awesome!
just heard about this game from manlybadasshero I'm pretty excited about playing it myself :0
Really enjoyed playing this game, 5 out of 5 stars for sure.
The Doc character is OP. I enjoyed the concept of this game and the colorful characters. Great Work!
This was so much GOODNESS in the one game, I'm going to have to go and check out the back catalogue. I loved it, thank you so much.