Hidden beneath the appealing aesthetic of Consume Me's artwork lies a more ominous nature
On September 25, the indie game "Consume Me" will be available for PC, offering players a unique and thought-provoking experience. Created by Jenny Jiao Hsia, this light-hearted coming-of-age life sim is based on Hsia's own experiences with dieting and eating disorders as a teenager.
The game features a dynamic aesthetic, with quick-cutting comic book panels and a calendar structure that presents information in a compartmentalized way. The art style, described as "good enough" by Hsia, serves its purpose and does not require hours of revision. The 2D art incorporates inventive use of 3D, particularly in Jenny's bedroom scene, and employs billboarding techniques in a compromised "free time scene." The game was developed in Unity and has a lo-fi execution with thick brushstrokes and simple shapes, complemented by the background art created by Kelly Jie En Lee.
The gameplay includes a food Tetris-like minigame to ensure that the protagonist doesn't go over her daily 'bits' without going hungry, and another food minigame resembling a physics-based Burger Time, which appears as a shorter dream sequence.
"Consume Me" aims to be a darkly humorous depiction of the consequences of eating disorders and the trials of being a high school teenager. It carries an explicit content warning at the start of the game and was awarded both the Nuovo Award and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize this year at the IGF.
AP Thomson, who handles the coding and writes much of the dialogue, is the co-director of "Consume Me." Hsia initially despised displaying scenes with just buttons and wanted to embrace 3D modeling, but the game's initial cosy presentation may risk the thought-provoking message on a sensitive topic being missed.
Hsia takes inspiration from comedians like Larry David and Nathan Fielder to convey her message through humor. Unfortunately, there are no direct search results specifically detailing Hsia's approach to improving verbal communication in game development and TikToks. However, her gentle, considerate style in her work and communication, speaking softly and with a tone suggesting consultation and closeness, akin to a sister or friend, may inform how she improves verbal communication by balancing risk, skill, and attentiveness to her audience's needs and limits in creative environments like game development.
A demo for the first chapter of "Consume Me" is available on Steam, with save data carrying over to the final game. For those interested in experiencing this unique and thought-provoking game, mark September 25 in your calendar.
