It’s been a while since I’ve sat down and played a video game. I’ve been deep into developing TO:RI along with enjoying non-screen hobbies in my free time. Recently I’ve been in the mood again to play some games. I’ve grown tired of long, repetitive, bloated games, so my ideal game to play is something short and focused. Player Non Player by Jonathan Coryn was the perfect fit.

It’s immediately apparent when you start the game that you are about to experience something special. You’re thrown into a large island through an intro sequence that feels quiet, yet grand in scale. Architecture is at the heart of the visual experience of this game. Monolithic brutalist structures punctuate the islands mysteries, waiting for you to explore and discover at your own pace. The core of the experience is talking with the inhabitants of the island, getting to know their struggles, and helping them move on. In between all this are small puzzles, platforming, and exploration.

I spent a lot of my time just admiring the beauty of the atmosphere. It’s melancholic with moments of tranquility. Subtle ambient swells and drones add a comforting heavy weight to everything. Through tender interactions with the world and characters, I felt a sense of loss and loneliness within the world. Weaved within a tapestry of emotions are moments of joy and wonder. You can wield a discordant musical sword. You can build a dance party. Your hands are eager to touch everything with impressive tactile technical detail. You can pet the dog. You can pet everything. Or more specifically, caress everything and everyone (if they like that). When I caressed a character by accident, they vocally showed disapproval. I was reminded that this game world isn’t mine. These characters don’t exist to entertain.

There’s an achievement to cause harm to everyone but this is something I couldn’t do. They bare the world to you, and you feel their discomfort and pain. I didn’t come to this island to play with it like a toy, but the option is there. Just like there’s an option to collect all the coins to be rewarded with an achievement to prove that this is a “real video game”. Player Non Player has many meta aspects that allude to the fact that this is a constructed experience. It adds a lot to the world building, giving this feeling of authored authenticity to everything. The artist is present. They followed the “rules” of a game and simultaneously broke them all. The result is a magical, personal, and touching experience unlike anything I’ve ever played.

Player Non Player is available on Steam and itch.io for €9.99