Go To Sea 下海
2023
Exhibitions
- 7/2023 - 10/2023 - - To Your Eternity 致不灭的你, - Today Art Museum, China, Beijing Curated by Xin Wang
Installation view at Today Art Museum, Beijing. July, 2023
《下海》是一款以九十年代的中国为背景的复古像素风格叙事游戏。故事发生在中国北方某工业城镇,讲述了年轻人小吴在公共澡堂打工的经历。澡堂是当地居民最常聚集休闲的场所,也是信息交流的重要场域。小吴在这里与各种各样的人发生短暂却意味深长的交流和碰撞,在互动中不断受到潜移默化的影响。
《下海》试图捕捉当时的私密故事,营造一个受中国现代化浸染的似曾相识且奇幻的昨日世界,通过数字游戏的方式让玩家探索发现。
这是团队的首款传统叙事游戏,其故事探讨了在经济逐渐繁荣的过程中,个人时常会经历的新奇情感,因为他们必须不断适应新的环境。这种复杂的成长、变化和自我发现的经历定义了80后和90后在中国成长的共同记忆。
此次展出的《下海》是制作组特别为展览定制的版本。不同于原作的线性叙事,展览版通过四个平行的空间——白天、黑夜、游戏厅与小康家,展开空间式的叙事。四个看似碎片化的空间,皆由游戏的核心主题贯穿联系。艺术家还为每个空间运用了独特的视觉和技术手法,像素2D、像素3D与现代3D,呈现出多种视觉风格。这种多空间、多样式的呈现,邀请观众从崭新视角审视游戏作为艺术媒介的可能,揣摩其叙事内容。空间之间的细节暗示出更深层的关联,等待观众发掘。
project brief
Our first traditional narrative game project, “Go To Sea.” After focusing on simulations and computational projects for nearly a decade, we are now able to tell a meaningful story that resonates with children who grew up in 80s/90s China.
“Go To Sea” is a retro pixel narrative game set in China during the 1990s, a time when the country underwent rapid privatization. The game follows Xiao Kang, a young man working at a neighborhood bathhouse in a northern Chinese industrial town. The bathhouse serves as a meeting place for local residents to share stories and information, influencing Xiao Kang’s thoughts over time.
Through interactive gameplay, “Go To Sea” aims to provide players with an intimate glimpse into the lives of people who experienced the challenges of rapid modernization. The story explores internal conflicts and the struggles of individuals as they navigate a changing world that feels both promising and unfamiliar.
Our team has faced obstacles in developing this project, but we are committed to delivering a thought-provoking and emotionally engaging experience to players by the end of the year. “Go To Sea” portrays moments of violence but also conveys a mix of sadness and happiness, reflecting the characters’ hardships and victories.
We invite players to embark on this sincere journey, as we strive to authentically capture the essence of growing up in 80s/90s China and the realities of rapid modernization.
Team:
zzyw (Yang Wang and Zhenzhen Qi), Jiaoyang Li, Zongying Liu, Qianlin Li zzyw (汪洋，漆贞贞)，李茜霖，李骄阳，刘宗鹰
