Essays on Empathy (v2021.08.22)

Human connection, anxiety, failure, and absurdity sit at the center of this compact anthology of interactive stories from Deconstructeam. Rather than delivering one long RPG campaign, Essays on Empathy collects ten sharply different vignettes, each placing players in an unfamiliar life for a brief but memorable stretch. One tale follows a contract killer tending flowers, while another turns a teenager’s fear that her skeleton does not belong to her into something strangely affecting. The mood shifts constantly between bleak comedy, social discomfort, melancholy, and genuine warmth, but every piece shares an interest in people trying to cope with situations that feel too large, too weird, or too personal.

Most entries are short, often playable in a single sitting, and favor conversation, observation, simple interactions, and choices over demanding combat or elaborate character builds. You read messages, navigate small spaces, perform job-like tasks, listen to awkward exchanges, and occasionally make decisions that influence how a scenario resolves or how its characters understand one another. De Tres al Cuarto, the collection’s exclusive story, focuses on struggling comedians attempting to turn their underwhelming act into a career, using performance and dialogue to capture the anxiety behind chasing a dream. The anthology lasts around five hours, though its structure makes it easy to sample one story at a time instead of committing to a marathon.

What makes the package stand out is its willingness to let mechanics serve emotion rather than convention. Each tale has its own visual identity and interaction style, from lo-fi pixel scenes to more abstract interfaces, while Paula Ruiz’s extensive original soundtrack gives the collection a cohesive, intimate atmosphere. A gallery of sketches, design materials, and a documentary add worthwhile context for players interested in how experimental narrative games are made. Fans of Deconstructeam’s The Red Strings Club, or anyone who likes the concise emotional storytelling of games such as Florence and A Normal Lost Phone, finds plenty to appreciate here; action-focused players may find it slight, but curious newcomers can enjoy it without prior familiarity.