And with “Psychonauts,” Double Fine Presents sought to explore, with exaggeration, mind games and emotional stress. “Night in the Woods” from Infinite Fall tackled coming-of-age-existentialism and post-traumatic stress disorder. Ninja Theory’s “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice” used action and horror elements to delve into psychosis while Accidental Queens’ mobile “Another Lost Phone: Laura’s Story” tackled themes of sexual identity, bullying and domestic abuse. While topics related to mental health aren’t new to games, they’re far from the norm. I’ve never played games before, but I think I need to play this game.’” “The bathroom lady - I think she was in her mid-40s - and she said, ‘Cornelia, I was so overwhelmed by your presentation. ![]() She likes to tell a story about presenting the title onstage at an E3 press conference and then being approached by a bathroom attendant. That wasn’t Geppert’s goal in creating “Sea of Solitude,” but it’s one of her hopes. It also drew attention for being part of the Electronic Arts roster, a studio known for its sports series (“FIFA”) and its stable of blockbuster-driven studios working on games such as “Star Wars: Battlefront.” “Sea of Solitude” garnered instant attention when it was publicly unveiled at the 2018 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, where it was among a handful of anomalies that stood out among games centered around action and violence. This is about having a more calm way of going through life, and that you will know that bad times will come again, and very good times will come again, no matter what you do.” Reaching new players ![]() “I want people to see that whatever you are up to - whatever your next goal is - it’s not about that you come out at the end with the perfect score, that you’re the supehero and everything will be fine. “I want them to enjoy the ride,” Geppert says of her goal for those who play “Sea of Solitude.” Yet she also wants those who experience the game to walk away with a different idea of what winning means. While “Sea of Solitude” is far from the first game to look honestly and seriously at weighty subject matter, it advances the notion that play is a storytelling device and not just a means for competition or puzzle solving. ![]() The Geppert-directed game works in metaphorical ways, putting emotion ahead of plot and in turn making the argument that interactive entertainment should be able to speak as thoughtfully and meaningfully about mental health as film, television and music, where works such as “Maniac,” “Us” or even the songs of Billie Eilish have inspired conversations about what it means to be human. “Sea of Solitude” is not a game-as-medicine at times, its tenseness borders on survival horror, requiring Kay to evade shadowy, ghastly forms with bullying whispers. Prior to “Sea of Solitude,” the company survived by developing mobile and browser games for third-party clients. In the midst of a summer blockbuster season, where escapism, barbecues and superhero films reign, video game giant Electronic Arts is publishing the deeply personal “Sea of Solitude,” an exploration into the terrors of loneliness from Cornelia Geppert’s Berlin-based Jo-Mei Games.
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