Fugue in Void

Fugue in Void is a, self described, artsy walking simulator created by Moshe Linke and is available for free for forever according to the game's Itch.io page. As per usual, we went in with only the information given on the game's page, which was both very little and also absolutely everything you'd need to know. Generally, I'd like to say I know what a walking simulator is, and that I've been on enough college campuses to be very familiar with at least the general concepts around brutalist architecture. Unfortunatly, that did not prepare me for this game.

I don't know what I was expecting.

First, how about we start with the expected playtime of 45 minutes. I started this game on a Friday night and finished it on Sunday morning. Just, forget my usual three hour time limit, this game took me 28 HOURS to finish! It's not even funny at that point! This game was so Comfy that I kept falling ASLEEP WHILE PLAYING! Not even counting the dread and existential horror that brutalist archetecture and artsy games usually elicits in me there was just something so relaxing about the whole thing? It's like the feeling you get watching a David Attenburough documentary or Bob Ross episode or watching clouds in a Microsoft Flight Simulator, which doesn't make sense because Fugue in Void is so unsettling!

Like, is this a maze? Does this count as a maze?

It could be the starting ocean walkway after getting through the opening sequence or maybe the seemingly neverending concrete halls and stairways, maybe it's the floor buttons or the fact that you can jump but there never seemed to be a need to? The audio definitly never helped either. Depending on what stage you're in and what obstacles (Would it even count as obstacles? Usually you just have to find the right doorway or step on a couple buttons? Does that count? Does that make this a maze??) you're facing, you might get some ambient step-step-step sounds while you walk and not much else, or there's wind/waves/air sounds, or the Ominous Noises that usually preceeded going somewhere new.

For the most part, there usually just the Concrete Buildings that you get to explore. The camera lets you get very close to the walls and, if you're anything like me, it's very, very easy to get lost until you manage to make your way to the next stage. There's more than enough space to run around and walk into corners and find yourself trapped behind a piller until you turn around enough to walk back out. On the other hand, you also have the Unsettling Areas. Huge, metal looking wire cages isn't usually something I would like to see as far underground as this building seems to go and the flashing lights definitly did not help! What I've come to lovingly call the Pits, in the middle of a bunch of the Unsettling Areas, which just so happen to be large holes in the ground that you just have to walk into to continue in the map.

The Sand Room also was not a fun time on the subconcious mind.

I will admit, though, that the ending desert and cityscape makes me think there's a storyline behind all of this that I didn't pick up on. I could be wrong, but there was just something about all of a sudden being surrounded by stuff and colors and lights when you'd just spent however long staring at long stretches of empty grey and taupe and black. Maybe I can figure it out if I can get through a playthrough without taking a nap or six in the middle. Who know?

There wasn't even much in terms of payoff? There's a change of scenery then a spectacular ending sequence just to finish with the title card. The whole experience was strangely super chill?

Ultimatly, Fugue in Void was deeply unsettling for something I found so comforting. I don't know if it was because of my general comfort in being alone or the low effort it took to follow along with what this game wanted the player to do in the face of the high energy it took to regulate both my concious state and stability, but there was just something that kept pulling me back til the end.

That's enough from me, happy dreams!