Humanity has a truly complicated relationship with the universe. We fear the things we don’t understand, but we can’t help but become obsessed with them as well. The hunger for answers compels us to go to great lengths in order to make sense of a universe that is both cold and dark, and warm and brilliantly bright. Whether through scientific exploration or the occult and supernatural, humanity refuses to be denied its answers. Recently Ive been playing two games I feel perfectly capture that feeling of wanting to understand the universe, Outer Wilds and World of Horror.
Ever since I was a child I’ve had an obsession with trying to understand the universe. Its one of the few things in my life where i’ve felt truly connected to the rest of humanity. Myths, legends, folklore, religion, biology, astronomy, physics. All of these are just humanity’s attempts at understanding a world that once and always will make no sense. Knowing that all those that have come before, and ideally those that come after, were also pursuing this is a truly magical thing. Thats the experience that Outer Wilds provides for its players. Tracing the footsteps of those before so that you can walk even just a bit further. It wants you, as both a player and a person, to become engaged with the world and the spark of curiousity that lives within us all. Where did these ruins come from? What causes these phenomenon to occur? What happened to the people who were here? As long as a question exists the game begs you to seek answers.
In contrast, World of Horror punishes you as much as it rewards you for wanting to know more. The universe is beset upon by one of twelve outer gods, and knowing of them means its your duty to stop it from coming. Your character is tasked with solving mysteries in your home town that will hopefully allow you to repel the approaching evil. Each mystery has multiple endings, depending on the investigation you performed and the equipment you’ve aqcuired as things progressed. Doing a thorough investigation gives you more experience, but it also means the enemies you face will be stronger and more bizarre. The more you face, the smaller you feel in comparison to this frightening and hellish universe.
In my eyes these games represent two sides of the same coin. That drive we feel to know the things and people around us. That hunger for understanding that threatens to drive us mad. The sense of beauty and wonder we feel as we look upon the stars, and the horror we feel at not knowing what the dark holds for us.
Adam in the Garden of Nerdom 