22 Minutes
A downloadable experience
You didn't realize it until it was happening--time trickling away all too fast until there isn't any left. No one else seems to notice, except for you.
22 minutes. That's how much time you have before everything ends. Before the sun consumes the earth in a fiery blaze, and distant stars follow. Make every minute count-- minutes written on pages that will last beyond eternity. Or at least, try the best you can.
To play this game, you'll need a used notebook or journal to write in, preferably one that you'll keep after the game has ended.
A game inspired by my love for Outer Wilds, if you've enjoyed playing this game, I implore you to take a look and play it for yourself. 22 minutes is a love letter to everything I've experienced playing it , and so , so much more.
Content Warnings : Death, it's Inevitably and Futility.
Purchase
In order to download this experience you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $3 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Community Copies!
Support this experience at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.
Free Community Copies
If you're experiencing any sort of hardship, but want to check 22 Minutes out, feel free to claim this copy.
Every copy bought will add an extra to the community copy pile!
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Hello. I was wondering if there were anymore community copies available? 😊
The universe is dying. Well, I'm crying. Also, not satisfied, but would not like to "try again". Please Universe, let me sleep forever.
I love your work on this game, it's beautiful and poetic.
Btw, that's a cool game I just wrote a short presentation on my blog (ermites.club), it's in French but you could see my small paper I used to play to 22 minutes
Thank you so much for taking your time to play this short game! You even wrote it down physically, and I love what you did with it! I'm glad you enjoyed it enough to do a little presentation/review on your blog
You also made me think about something I didn't consider at the time of writing the game-- that you may not feel satisfied at the end of things, but embrace it nonetheless-- because you just want to rest after living a tiring life for so long.
Many may definitely feel that way and has it been a while since I wrote this, I agree with you on that sentiment, haha! Upon reflection, I think I would probably have included a way to accept the universe's death and move on even if you feel unsatisfied!
Indeed I like the idea of having one single essay in such a "End of everything" theme & I prefer short one-shots games rather than journaling (recurring) games so I guess that's why I ended up writing "I don't want to live this again and again". I truly enjoyed this experience! and I loved your lists, pretty inspiring and cozy.
I guess people who prefer journaling/recurring games will love to try again and again until they're satisfied; everyone would play differently. In this kind of game, I can see an interesting thing: the question of the character's memory, does they remember their "previous day"?
22 Minutes is a unique and touching game, and there were many questions and phrases in it which reminded me of words from the Tao Te Ching.
Although they are different in scope and execution, I will probably play 22 Minutes alongside Moonsailors by Annamyriah de Jong.
Here are a few lines inspired by the beautiful words within 22 Minutes:
A thousand solar winds that blow
Engulf the stars which used to glow
Blackness and nameless
Something produced from nothingness
You are starlight in the silent hush
A floating shape in motes of dust
Thank you for a beautiful and thoughtful game!
22 Minutes provides players with the rare (and also, quite frankly --- terrifying) opportunity to parcel the end of their life in discrete activities. 22 Minutes has a strong, intentional theme suffusing and informing the entirety of the game experience.
The game is a simple yet effective prompt that forces the player to put a time and a priority on what they can do, what relationships they can cling on to, what doubts or redemptions to wallow in, in such limited time.
Because this is free-form, the player has complete freedom to also make the experience as heavy or light as they want. If I only had 22 minutes, perhaps I'll just spend it all on capybara memes; avoiding the inevitable by envying adorable animals who can't comprehend the universe's end.
I'd love to see this game expanded and perhaps include suggestions on fiction or media that help build the mood or that act as inspiration on asking even more question and processing this experience in novel ways.