As I Lay Dying!

As I Lay Dying! is an experimental puzzle platformer. It was released for Flash in December of 2010. The game draws from many inspirations: the title and basic plot come from William Faulkner’s classic American novel of the same name; the graphical style of the game is inspired by the art game movement; and the tone of the game is inspired by dark comedies. Somewhere in there, I also wanted to explore the game equivalent of a home movie, but I’m not sure how successful I was in that regard. The game is certainly not based on a true story, but it is somewhat autobiographical anyway.

While the central mechanics of the game involve throwing objects and balancing between protecting an important object and solving puzzles, much of what makes the game interesting are the themes it deals with. In a tongue-in-cheek sort of way, it takes on topics ranging from how people deal with death, humankind’s relationship with nature, and even love.

I encourage you to check it out for yourself! I guarantee the first five minutes will have you both cringing and grinning guiltily.