Little by Little by Little

You’re a depressed twenty-something trying to stay on top of your work.

DATE

2020

CONTEXT

Created in the Winter 2020 Worldbuilding class (DESMA 171), taught by Eddo Stern

MEDIUM

Unity 3D

PEOPLE

Lee Teng  :  Game Design

Your name is Charlie. You’re a depressed twenty-something year old trying to do what all depressed twenty-something year olds are trying to do: stay on top of your work, have a good time with your friends before they graduate, not think about your absentee boyfriend, and obsess over the identity of the artist leaving sheep graffiti all over your neighborhood. You’re also trying to h​ide the fact that it feels like you’re rotting from the inside out. But hey, one step at a time, right?

Little By Little By Little​ is a third-person illustrated slice of life game. You play as Charlie, an anthropomorphic bunny, and the game follows a day in your life as you try to uncover the identity of the neighborhood’s resident graffiti artist and the meaning behind their work. You also spend the day navigating your responsibilities and your relationships with your friends. There’s Sam, your overachieving and effortlessly cool roommate. Riles, the best friend who’s probably more than you deserve. Isaac, whose confidence levels you aspire to reach one day; Frank, the guy you have a major friend crush on; and Benji, your loving but painfully absent boyfriend. As you continue to uncover more things about the graffiti artist, your friends, and even yourself, all the little things start adding up until they reach a tipping point for your deteriorating mental state. The models and animations in the game warp to show Charlie’s changing perception, culminating in a final confrontation at the end of the day when you discover what is really keeping Charlie afloat.