"outcast" - Origin story

The goal with this game wasn't to build an intense story or plot, but to build atmosphere surrounding the feeling of being completely left out. After the intro, the only company you have is a boombox playing downbeat music and the sound of the waves. Your friends left you here, while they went on to go to a small island in the middle of a lake. 

When I was 17 I had a similar thing happen to me (and this story is what the game is based off), except not as dramatic. My friends went on to go swim to an island in the middle of a lake, but I was pretty certain that I wouldn't have enough stamina to make it there, so I just waited for them to come back. When they were about half-way there, though, I figured you know what? I think I will swim there, and to be honest in that moment it didn't even seem that far away. So I started swimming.

I swam on my back  slowly kicking with my feet, making my way toward the island. After I knew that I was a fair distance away from a part where my feet could reach the ground below me, I noticed how quiet everything was. The only thing I could hear is just the water, and nothing else, and this is where I sort of got this thought in the back of my head, that if my legs cramp up here then I'm in some pretty deep trouble. Regardless, I kept going but grew increasingly more stressed out the more I got away from the shore. 

I was almost at the half way point and there I figured it didn't even matter anymore whether or not I turn back or not, cause I might as well just keep going. At that point though, I saw my friends were swimming toward me, before they told me that we're all going back. That was a relief. I think nothing bad would've happened if they didn't decide to turn back and we would've all kept going, but there was definitely room for trouble.

So there's the story that this game's narrative is based off. The feedback from this game has been very positive regarding the atmosphere, and I'm really happy about that, since that was what I wanted to capture the most. Thanks to everyone who played the web build & for those who downloaded it, and special thanks to queenfaith2022 for making a video about it!