"What Remains of Edith Finch" (Giant Sparrow, 2017) isn't your typical video game. It's a haunting, poetic exploration of a family marred by tragedy. You play as Edith, the last surviving Finch, returning to her childhood home after years away. But instead of traditional combat or puzzles, the game unfolds through narrated vignettes, each detailing the untimely demise of a Finch family member. Here's how this unique approach cultivates a profound sense of empathy in players:

Stepping into Fragmented Lives:

The vignettes aren't dry recounts of deaths. Each becomes a playable story, transporting you into the headspace of the deceased Finch on the day of their demise. Molly, a young girl yearning for freedom, experiences the world through the eyes of a fantastical owl (Giant Sparrow, 2017). Lewis, a boy with artistic aspirations, lives out his dream of being a cosmic cat venturing through space ([Giant Sparrow, 2017]). These fantastical experiences, rooted in the characters' hopes and fears, create an emotional connection. We see the world not through the lens of tragedy, but through the vibrant lens of a life tragically cut short.

Empathy Through Exploration:

Unlike a movie, "What Remains of Edith Finch" allows you to explore the Finches' world. You wander through Molly's cluttered room, filled with drawings of owls and escape routes. You delve into Lewis' meticulously crafted comic books, each panel bursting with creativity. These intimate spaces become testaments to the characters' personalities and dreams. Research indicates that actively engaging with a narrative instead of passively consuming it can lead to increased empathy for the characters (Toh, 2023).. By inhabiting these personal spaces, we better understand the individuals lost (Pedersen, & Birkeland, 2022). Furthermore, the ability to replay and rewind creates a greater depth of connection with the game (Kleinman, Caro, & Zhu, 2020).

Loss from Different Angles:

The beauty of the vignettes lies in their diversity. Each death is unique, reflecting a different facet of loss. We experience the innocence of a child's death through Molly's story, the crushing weight of grief through Edith's mother's, and the terrifying randomness of fate through Milton's ([Giant Sparrow, 2017]). This multifaceted exploration of loss allows players to connect with the characters on a personal level, regardless of their own experiences with grief.

A Tapestry of Lives, Not Just Deaths:

Despite the focus on death, "What Remains of Edith Finch" is ultimately a celebration of life (Ross, 2023). . The vignettes showcase the characters' quirks, talents, and dreams. We see Barbara, a budding artist, lost in a world of comic books ([Giant Sparrow, 2017]). We witness Gregory's fascination with candy and his elaborate candy-construction projects (Giant Sparrow, 2017). These details paint a rich picture of the Finches not just as victims of tragedy, but as individuals who lived and loved. By understanding their lives, we learn to empathize not just with their deaths, but with the richness of the lives lost.

Conclusion:

The video game "What Remains of Edith Finch" is a powerful testament to the idea that empathy can arise from the most unlikely sources. By utilizing interactive storytelling and presenting various perspectives on the theme of loss, the game effectively prompts players to immerse themselves in the experiences of others, fostering a deeper understanding of the intricate and multifaceted nature of the human condition. Doing so invites us to acknowledge and appreciate the inherent beauty and tragic complexity of our shared existence.

FYI: Here's a list of all the playable vignettes you encounter in "What Remains of Edith Finch" uncovering the stories of Edith's deceased relatives: Source: Neowin. (2017, July 30). 

1. Molly Finch - Molly’s story is the first vignette and involves her transforming into various animals after eating different things in her room.

2. Calvin Finch - Calvin’s vignette involves him swinging on a swing set and imagining himself flying.

3. Barbara Finch - Barbara’s story is presented as a horror comic book, detailing her career as a child star and her mysterious death.

4. Walter Finch - Walter’s vignette involves his life in a bunker, where he has isolated himself for many years.

5. Sam Finch - Sam’s story is about a hunting trip with his daughter, Dawn.

6. Gregory Finch - Gregory’s vignette is a tragic story about his time playing in the bathtub.

7. Gus Finch - Gus’s story involves a kite-flying incident during a family wedding.

8. Milton Finch - Milton’s vignette is a short, artistic sequence showing his disappearance.

9. Lewis Finch - Lewis’s story is about his struggle with mental health and his job at a cannery.

10. Edith Finch - Edith’s own story is the final vignette, where she explores the Finch house and uncovers her family’s history.

References

Giant Sparrow. (2017). What Remains of Edith Finch [Video game]. Annapurna Interactive.

Kleinman, E., Caro, K., & Zhu, J. (2020). From immersion to metagaming: Understanding rewind mechanics in interactive storytelling. Entertainment Computing, 33, 100322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2019.100322

Neowin. (2017, July 30). What remains of Edith Finch review: Vignettes of family, death, and belonging. Retrieved from https://www.neowin.net/reviews/what-remains-of-edith-finch-review-vignettes-of-family-death-and-belonging/ 

Pedersen, J. M., & Birkeland, T. H. (2022). Video games in the English subject: An exploration of video games for teaching about narratives (Master's thesis, UiT Norges arktiske universitet). https://hdl.handle.net/10037/26058

Ross, C. J. (2023). Suddenly I was a Shark! My Time with What Remains of Edith Finch. Polymedia.

Toh, W. (2023). The player experience and design implications of narrative games. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 39(13), 2742-2769. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2022.2085404