The Killer
A small notgame inspired by the thousands of senseless killings committed in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge regime. Requires no gaming skills whatsoever. Takes about three minutes to play through, though the length varies, and the experience is never quite the same for any two people.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Wow. I am not a college
Wow. I am not a college student, nor do I know much about events that occur in the world, but this has me in tears. I was quite confused while playing the game, and reluctant when it instructed me to aim and shoot. Of course I refused to aim and shot into the air instead, but everything became clear as the explanation for it all appeared on the screen. This is such a creative way to explain events in the world. And the music made this presentation all the more creative. This was great. Definitely keep up the good work and creativity.
this is better than journey
this is better than journey
Great interactive art. No
Great interactive art. No need to seek criticism, just continue being yourself. Art by committee is less honest. Again, great work.
The Killer
You have mastered the fine art of depressing people.
Agreed
I agreed. Absolutely mastered.
The Killer
To be honest, this one felt cheap. Especially when contrasted with Freedom Bridge, which has a similar mechanic at the end. Freedom Bridge’s ending felt like it had more meaning. Being shot in the middle of the bridge, rather than and suddenly a landmine. The whole notgame felt more nuanced.
This one, the music was overwrought, and the walk went on for too long. I was completely zoned out when and suddenly a landmine, whereas for Freedom Bridge I was paying attention. I felt the black square’s struggle.
Beautiful game.
Beautiful game.
I didn’t think I would be
I didn’t think I would be given a choice at the end. Thank you for giving me that choice.
Wow i don’t think any game
Wow i don’t think any game with top graphics moved me as much as this one. This is a masterpiece.
what happened
what happened; or, why did we both die?
Did you wait ‘till the end
Did you wait ‘till the end screen appeared? It has a bit of explanation. The reason you both died was because of a landmine.
empathy in the spacebar
Thank you for this game. When I first began playing, it wasn’t immediately clear if I was controlling the figure leading or following. Ok, so the soldier stops when I release the spacebar, so I control him - but I still have so far to go. Moving through the jungle, the forest and the beach, we came to the plains when I suddenly controlled a gunsight. No thank you, I won’t shoot my companion.
I played a second time, and we both died suddenly from a landmine. What?? Pointlessness!
A fine little game.
Thanks!
It’s a game… but it’s also clearly not and I love that you capture this in what may, one day, become it’s own genre.
Great to see such simple, yet affective (not) games out there which help us to realise the reality of a groaning world- groaning, in part, due the selfish, self-seeking nature of many of its inhabitants.
More powerful and memorable than games which take up days/ months/ … etc to complete.
It’s not a game - the message is short and sweet and, with a musical piece chosen with due diligence… thanks, very powerful - very welcome - very good reminder!
wow
powerful stuff man its sad how most people forget or ignore the cruel injuctice in the world
Im glad i didnt shot them first in the not game killer what happens if i keep holding space after the feild ?
really good stuff man really makes u think
Thanks for the comment Colin.
Thanks for the comment Colin. To answer your question, you can keep walking forever, if you choose to.
The Killing & Loneliness
Hi There,
I really enjoyed, no wait, appreciated both of these “games” Too often a good message is lost because of the lack of user input. The simplicity of both games is very beneficial for reaching the user. The direct implication of the game is evident almost immediately but I do have one suggestion. Placing a progress bar of some sort would help encourage the less patient individual to continue to receive the final piece of the message. I’m not sure what the most effective way to do this would be without ruining the experience but I can see it being immediately beneficial.
Thanks for your thoughts,
Thanks for your thoughts, Andrew. I hadn’t really thought about the idea of a progress bar, but that is an interesting option to consider…
Jesus. Your games have such
Jesus. Your games have such impact, I was almost in tears. When this game ended…I didn’t understand what had happened. I heard the shot, and my hands went to the mouth, I just sat there, dumbfounded. It took the mention of land mines for me to understand what had happened. If I was actually one of those people, I would never understand what had happened. Thank you.
amazing
Thank you so much for this game.
I have been to Cambodia and seen the fields. I really was devastated when I realised which figure I was playing. I actually tried to shoot my own character when I got to the fields.
Wow. This is the first game
Wow. This is the first game that’s made me feel guilty about shooting someone.
Wow!
I stumbled across your games from extra credits and just wow. Your games just leave me in awe because they have such deep meaning behind them and yet they are so simple. Really, these are amazing.
Just played The Killer
Wow. I came from Extra Credits on YouTube. I played Loneliness first. I’m amazed at the pacing and carrot on a stick of The Killer. I really didn’t want to hurt anybody! I never feel that in BF, CoD, Halo, etc. Every time I let go of space, the game urged me on. When I got to just before the field, I stopped and tried every key I could to see if I could change the ending. Out of curiosity, I kept going. I was given the chance to kill the stick figure man, and I shot in the opposite direction. This notgame is incredibly powerful.
Amazing...
this game was very emotional for me, its so simple but so inspiring…
one question, what was the music? that song to me is so beautiful.
p.s. keep up the good work :)
I really didn’t want to shoot
I really didn’t want to shoot him. I don’t know why…
comment on 'the killer'
Hey,
Great one. I guess that, as with ‘loneliness’, the player is supposed to “fill
in the gaps” with his/her imagination. Which is a cool concept.
The problem was that I couldn’t do that because of the music. I tried to relate
with the character by imagining that the guy had done something horrible to me
that definitely deserved him to die. Something that infinitely surpasses my
ability to sympathise or feel pitty for him.
While the length of the journey made me explore what I (and you) tried to make
myself feel (which is great), the music was really distracting.
Perhaps, having chosen to imagine a different story, or trying to impersonate
the victim instead of the killer, the music would have been fitting.
Anyway, thanks for the experience.
-k
Hey there, i have to say,
Hey there,
i have to say, although i wouldnt really call it games in the common understanding, this is more interactive experience, i was really touched. as i played bridge of freedom i was totally shocked that my little buddy was shot…
in “the killer” you know whats gonna happen, but thats make it even harder to push space.
great games, love it.
bye
Your website
Hello,
Just to tell you that I think your website and your games are beautiful.
Thanks for all this.
Have a nice trip
Your games
I have seldom experienced such raw emotion from a video game. I have traveled to a few of the places featured in your games and learnt a small proportion of their history in the process. however, after playing each game I had to research more and more and more.
Thank you for making such simplistic and emotionally provoking games!
It worked.
It worked.
The most accessable game ive
The most accessable game ive ever played yet with a message that is portrayed stronger than any other medium could achieve. Fantastically simple and thought provoking, with an effective soundtrack. Thank you.
failed
i love you
more then my self as a killer or other wise black stick figer may they all live on amen
AWESOME
moving aweseome shocking. Evereything i want in a game. Keep at is
FUCKING BRILLIANT. BETTER
FUCKING BRILLIANT. BETTER THAN ANY OTHER AAA SHITGAME EVER!!!
I’m very glad I could fail my
I’m very glad I could fail my task.
I knew what was coming, and I could avoid it entirely.
I love this game. Honestly I
I love this game. Honestly I don’t know what I can say which hasn’t already been said. All I can say is that I shot up into the sky after about a minute of serious thinking. No other medium has done that for me. It was amazing…
I like your games, have you
I like your games, have you ever considered going for a game that would last longer though? If you made a game that would last an hour and make a message, I can think of many people who would appreciate it. I know time and money are an issue, but i think its a venture worth going to.
The Killing and lonliness.
Thankyou for making these, they are amazing, moving, thought provoking experiences, and I can honestly say that my reaction to the killing is one of the strongest I have had to any sort of media. I felt physically sick throughout stopping repeatedly only to be compelled on by a need to finish the experience, to face up to the ending. It made me feel just a tiny portion of the horror of the Khmer Rouge’s massacres, and that is a phenomenal achievement. I can’t say I enjoyed these, enjoyment is about as far removed as one can get from what they made me feel, but I was moved by them and I thank you for that.
empathy
Walking the distance to the fields, I found myself going through several stages. First I wanted to get there to understand the message of the ‘notgame’, then as we got closer, i dreaded it more and more. As we came to the beach I wanted to stop walking, so the field never came. We walked on, the grassy field underfoot, the stars in the sky. I was waiting for the shot to ring out (expecting a ending like ‘freedom bridge’), but it never came. The reticule made its appearance and I waited and waited, hoping for it to just disappear. So i shot in the air. I was worried, concerned and fearful for pixels on a screen. Not because they were pixels but because of what they came to represent after the long stroll to the field. The walk was a reflection on the freedom we have and that is taken away from so many human beings everyday. Even the great and simple joy of taking a breath of fresh air in the sun or under the stars in a field. What if that breath was your last? What if someone had the kindness to take your place? To take their last breath so you could live on.
Beautiful
This game was powerful and moving,its simple graphics made the game something more.
Congratulations
Im sad now. Thats thanks to you and this game. Thats a good thing, as Im sure that’s what you were going for. Now Im informed of the events in Cambodia.
Also, you’re pushing video games as an art form, which I love and wish big developers would do more often instead of making hundreds apon hundreds of violence glorifying shooters and other things.
My comrades and I are starting a video game commentary channel on youtube, like all the cool kids. I was going to review the new expansion for Civ V, but I think I’ll review this game, Freedom Bridge, and Loneliness instead.
Thanks for the experience.
It’s shit.
It’s shit.
The Killer
This is an amazing nongame, the whole long pain staking walk to the fields knowing you may have to kill the guy you are pushing forward with your gun. I wondered the whole time if I got to spare his life and when I did the camera pans down to the bodies and I can take pride that I did not add one to the mess. Even though I died for not killing the prisoner I gave them a fighting chance.
made me tear up
made me tear up
Choice.
I tried to shoot myself. Given the choice between a person who I knew nothing about and myself, and being required to kill one, I chose myself, because I can at least judge myself.
Game Trekking
I think you’re doing an amazing thing here. To be able to convey such a powerful message using little more than a mechanic and sound is… Amazing to say the least. I hope that you continue on with this, if not to spread education and touch peoples lives, then to show how easily messages can be shown with proper use of tools at our expenditure.
The Killer
Beautiful!
The Killer feedback
Heard about “Loneliness” from Penny-Arcade in a video they showed about mechanics as metaphor. Ended up checking it out and it was interesting. I then played ‘Freedom Bridge’ and found it interesting and was completely shocked by getting killed on the bridge. It definitely hit home what you were trying to convey.
Finally, I played ‘The Killer’. I found it simple and beautiful. When I got to the beach I realized the fields were next and I wasn’t sure I wanted to let up on the keyboard. I intended to leave a weight on it so it wouldn’t stop but it slipped and I was confronted with killing the escorted. I shot into the air and they ran off.
The impact the message the game had was rather profound. Not only did it poke at me emotionally but it also surprised me that I’d actually be VERY interested in learning a little about Cambodia AFTER the game ended. I think you have have found an interesting way to hit an emotional response AND an educational interest in what you have here.
Cheers.
This is amazing
This is amazing
<3
Heartbreaking work you’ve done with these notgames. Brilliant and sad, thank you.
Kat