Sometimes to Deal with the Difficulty of Being Alive, I Need to Believe There Is a Possibility That Life Is Not Real. (2019)

Sometimes to Deal with the Difficulty of Being Alive, I Need to Believe There Is a Possibility That Life Is Not Real. cover

Developer: Jeremy Couillard, Ireneo Mercado
Publisher: Jeremy Couillard
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Simulation
Rating: 4.4 of 5, 119 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 40 minutes
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A quiet, slow-paced surreal exploration where you wander through abandoned spaces and interact with small games, inviting contemplation and a soft existential unease.

contemplativesurrealmeditativemelancholicatmosphericslowabstractexistential

What players say

Players describe this as more art than game, a short surreal simulation you sit in rather than play. They consistently note technical issues like broken mini-games and being abandoned by the developer, but many still find the experience thoughtful and unique.

Screenshots

Sometimes to Deal with the Difficulty of Being Alive, I Need to Believe There Is a Possibility That Life Is Not Real. screenshot 1

Sometimes to Deal with the Difficulty of Being Alive, I Need to Believe There Is a Possibility That Life Is Not Real. screenshot 2

Sometimes to Deal with the Difficulty of Being Alive, I Need to Believe There Is a Possibility That Life Is Not Real. screenshot 3

Sometimes to Deal with the Difficulty of Being Alive, I Need to Believe There Is a Possibility That Life Is Not Real. screenshot 4

Sometimes to Deal with the Difficulty of Being Alive, I Need to Believe There Is a Possibility That Life Is Not Real. screenshot 5

Sometimes to Deal with the Difficulty of Being Alive, I Need to Believe There Is a Possibility That Life Is Not Real. screenshot 6

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More by Polyp's Pond

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.