A journey without a clear purpose but a journey nonetheless, Through the Dark Woods is a game, novel, and experience combined in one. The viewers shall act as the player; for one to truly know the piece, one must play through it. The viewers will be asked to navigate through a dark forest with or without a hooded figure to guide them. The catch? The players decide which path to follow and what actions to take in their wandering. Little hints of truths are scattered throughout the viewers’ expedition, fragments of reality hidden within the words. Think, observe, and wonder; those are the key.
While deciding on what project to actually work on for her postgraduate requirements, Danielle Conti had a personal epiphany. With solid knowledge in both concept design and story-writing thanks to her bachelor’s degree in animation, the artist, in a capricious burst of inspiration, decided to explore a branch of media she was always interested in but had no prior motivation to actually try; video game design and development. As an experienced and self-proclaimed gamer, she knew what type of content and atmosphere she wanted to make. However, the question of how she will create it remained.
Developed and published in an independent game engine and some beginner level coding, the visual novel is the artist’s attempt to explore and challenge herself in a method and approach so unfamiliar to her own. Dark, almost eerie, the game itself sets off a conundrum the moment you enter the woods. Regard the script through the lens of reality and think about each given information with prudence and incredulity, the artwork can be considered as the whimsical representation of the artist’s mind, and her personal beliefs and philosophical questions about life and the world we live in.
For what is life but a journey through the uncertain and unknown?
PLAY THE GAME ONLINE HERE:
Gameplay sample: