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Not all games focus on action or competition. Increasingly, creators are using interactive entertainment to tell stories about mental health and difficult life experiences. One such title is Blueberry, the new offering from studio MELLOW Games. The game tells the story of a woman trying to understand her past and confront traumatic childhood memories. The project's creator drew on personal experience and worked with psychologists to portray as faithfully as possible how human memory and emotions work. The result is a title that places emotional storytelling and reflection at its heart.
Blueberry shows childhood from the perspective of someone struggling with trauma
The story begins when the protagonist, now an older woman, tries to understand why her relationship with her son has deteriorated. Her memories take her back to a childhood presented as a fairytale world full of talking toys and platforming levels. It soon becomes clear, however, that behind the colourful presentation lie family problems and the difficult experiences of growing up in a dysfunctional home. One of the key gameplay elements is an emotion meter called the "Blues Bar". The more emotionally overwhelmed the protagonist becomes, the more the surrounding world loses its colours and turns blue. The player must make decisions that affect both Blueberry's mental state and that of her parents. Some situations force a choice between personal well-being and trying to help loved ones. Memories also play an important role and change as the protagonist grows up. Returning to past events lets you uncover new elements of the story and gradually piece together a picture of the past.
The creators worked with psychologists to faithfully depict how memory works
The game's producer emphasises that, while creating Blueberry, they worked with three psychologists specialising in consulting on video games. The experts helped refine the portrayal of depression, trauma, addictions and the mechanisms of memory. The creators point out that memories are not fixed and, each time we return to them, they can be altered. Particularly traumatic events often trigger bodily responses that resemble reliving the situation. For this reason, when the protagonist searches for her most difficult memories she again takes the form of a child or teenager, regardless of the age she is currently at in the story. This mechanic is intended to help players better understand how traumatic memories function. The creators also hope the game will help people dealing with similar problems feel less alone, and make it easier for other players to understand the effects of depression and difficult childhood experiences. Depending on choices made during gameplay, the story can end in reconciliation with the past or leave the protagonist with unresolved issues. At the same time, Blueberry shows that, thanks to the brain's capacity to adapt, healing and change are possible even after many years.
Blueberry is an unusual game that uses an interactive format to tell a story about trauma, depression and the process of healing. Working with psychologists, the creators aimed to faithfully portray the workings of memory and the impact of difficult experiences on adult life. This title is aimed primarily at players seeking an emotional, reflective narrative rather than a classic action game.
source: Xbox
