Create Your Own Apocalypse (Online Game) (Eloise Freitag)

Create Your Own Apocalypse (Online Game)
Eloise Freitag

Create Your Own Apocalypse Game (link)


June 6, 2050. The Earth is in danger and it is your job to save it. The choices you make will have an impact on not only your life but the future of humankind. Good luck.
Players of “Create Your Own Apocalypse” begin their journey with this introduction and then must make a series of choices to help save themselves and the world. I designed this game after a climate apocalypse, with many apocalyptic tropes and themes included throughout. The player begins their journey with the knowledge that the Earth is in danger, but they do not know that despite the choices they make, every path will result in the end of the world. The point of designing the game this way is to send a message about the urgency of climate change. While players think they are making choices that will save the planet, it is in fact too late. In addition to more imaginative and creative apocalyptic tropes, I included real facts based on scientific concerns about the end of the world. I set the game in 2050 because this is the year that many scientists believe is the point of no return. We must take action now before it is too late and our choices mean nothing. This game is designed to reflect apocalyptic themes, while also bringing awareness and urgency around the issues of climate change.

After reading the introduction, the player must first decide which area they think is in the most danger. The first option is the Seattle Coast. If the player decides to go to the Seattle Coast, the climate apocalypse follows the theme of destruction. The introduction to this scenario reads: An earthquake has hit the coast of Seattle. It destroyed thousands of homes and left countless people dead. Not to mention, the fear of a tsunami following is impending. Then the player must make a series of choices within this scenario, with apocalyptic tropes included throughout such as 666 people in the hospital, stars falling from the sky, and a limited time of 7 days before the tsunami will hit. 666 is the devil’s number, hinting at religious imagery that is usually present in apocalyptic material. Stars falling from the sky is also a biblical reference, which we saw in Homer Simpson’s apocalyptic prophet phase. 7 is a very common number in apocalyptic literature because of the antichrist with 7 heads; we have also seen this number in the seven scrolls of the Revelation of St. John and the seven dispensations. After making a series of choices, the Seattle Coast apocalypse always ends in the same way: an element of cosmic destruction (fire, wind, or water) causes the end of the world.

The second option is the New Orleans Wetlands. If the player decides to go to the New Orleans Wetlands, the climate apocalypse follows the theme of transformation. The introduction to this scenario reads: The wetlands are in danger. The water has become polluted, causing the death of all aquatic life. You want to clean out and rebuild the swamp to allow for new life. Then the player must make a series of choices within this scenario, with apocalyptic tropes included throughout such as green goo, a whirlpool, a single green sprout, and metamorphosis. Grey goo is a sign of the end of the world, seen in both scientific and apocalyptic contexts. Similarly, a whirlpool is a classic apocalyptic image for the end of the world but also has real scientific roots. A single green sprout as hope for the future of the world is seen in many apocalyptic materials, such as Wall-E, a movie I looked at in depth. Metamorphosis is seen within the theme of transformation, and it is even included in the Oxford English Dictionary definition of the word. After making a series of choices, the New Orleans Wasteland apocalypse always ends in the same way: the participant turns into a supernatural animal (lion, eagle, or ox) so the plant cannot survive which causes the end of the world.

The third option is the Central Valley Desert. If the player decides to go to the Central Valley Desert, the climate apocalypse follows the theme of liberation. The introduction to this scenario reads: The conditions in central valley are inhospitable for all surrounding wildlife. This crucial ecosystem is crumbling and the fear of mass extinction is impending. You want to free the few existing species from these conditions. Then the player must make a series of choices within this scenario, with apocalyptic tropes included throughout such as invasive species, explosions, and a messiah. An invasive species of bugs take over, in a similar manner as an alien invasion which is a classic apocalyptic trope. An explosion coming out of nowhere is also seen in many apocalyptic materials. A messiah is seen within the theme of liberation, as described by the gnostic myth in which the divine sends the messiah to reveal to humans that they belong to another world. After making a series of choices, the Central Valley Desert apocalypse always ends in the same way: the participant sends someone who is not a true messiah (Asher, Menahem, or Serene- all fake messiahs according to the Jewish religion) and they cannot bring the rest of existing life with them to the new, liberated world which causes the end of the world.

I chose to focus on a climate apocalypse with themes of destruction, transformation, and liberation to give my project a clear direction while still following the tropes we have seen in class. Excluding the endings, I tried to keep the background information and situations accurate with actual scientific facts. I stayed away from less realistic imagery in the beginning of the game in order to establish the importance of this topic. Through this approach, I hoped players would not dismiss this project as just a game without a relevant message. For this reason, I left out motifs relating to the zombie apocalypse, which is what my section deciding was the least relevant and realistic apocalypse in the current time. My goal for this project was to deliver a message about the importance and urgency of climate change, as well as explore the motifs and tropes of an apocalypse.

This is how I designed the storyboard with each decision linked to a new box:

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