The Longest Walk

~Press Kit~

- About -

The Longest Walk is a deeply personal biographical documentary walking simulator game about my father's experience of living with depression and suicidal thoughts. The game was created using audio recorded from a 54-minute-long interview that I conducted with my dad, which was then edited into this approximately 9-and-a-half minute long playable experience.

The aim for this game is to help reduce feelings of isolation and encourage those who are struggling with depression or experiencing suicidal thoughts to reach out for help. Through my father's sharing of his personal experience in an open and frank manner, this documentary game aims to raise awareness of and provide an insight into what it is like living with depression in order to provoke discussion and help tackle the stigma about opening-up about mental health issues.

Whilst my father's experience and the locations depicted in the game are specific to him, the thoughts, feelings, and message conveyed through his recollection of lived experience are universal.

This free documentary game is part of a series of biographical game prototypes that I am developing for my PhD at Abertay University - Funded by The Northwood Charitable Trust - and was inspired by games such as Dear Esther (The Chinese Room), Actual Sunlight (WZOGI), and That Dragon, Cancer (Numinous Games). This game is published under the Abertay Game Lab practice-based research group.

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- Trigger Warning -

This experience contains strong language and potentially triggering content on topics related to anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.

When life is difficult, Samaritans are here day or night 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org. You don't need to face your troubles alone.

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- Controls -

Keyboard & Mouse

W, A, S, D - Walk Forward, Left, Backward, Right

Mouse - Look Around

ESC - Quit

Gamepad

Left Analogue Stick - Walk Around

Right Analogue Stick - Look Around

Invert Y Axis - Hold LB (L1) and tap RB (R1) on the gamepad.

Start - Quit

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- Socials -

Twitter - @alexandertarvet

LinkedIn - alexandertarvet

Website - www.alexanderjamestarvet.com

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