NAME

       between - a game about consciousness and isolation

SYNOPSIS

       between

DESCRIPTION

       Between is a video game written by Jason Rohrer about consciousness and isolation.

       Between  is  a multiplayer-only art game. As a result, some people like it, many people do not get it and
       some people hate it. Search the internet for the author's name and the game title to find some discussion
       about the game before dismissing it. Some sample discussions and reactions are listed below.

       You can play Between with a friend or stranger over the Internet. Both players will  see  a  field,  sky,
       clouds,  a square structure and a shimmering tower. The interface reveals the initial controls (reference
       below). The players place red-green-blue blocks on the field and pile them upwards. Placing  blocks  over
       the  shimmering  tower causes pleasant tones while the colours match. Soon enough the players will not be
       able to match any more blocks with the complex patterns and colour variety in the tower. To the left is a
       bed indicating sleep. To the right is a bright room indicating wakefulness. Cycling through the dream and
       wakefulness states gives players three different realities  in  which  to  build  the  shimmering  tower.
       Eventually  in the state between dream and reality, mysterious interactions between the two players block
       placements and reality cycling patterns will result in blocks with new colours and patterns appearing  on
       the field. These new blocks can then be used to match more and more of the shimmering tower over time...

       The  most  interesting  part about this game is the emotions it evokes within the player of the game. The
       ultra-low-res pixel art helps here, by not being too distracting and by leaving plenty  room  for  viewer
       interpretation.

USAGE

       Between has no command-line options.

       The left and right arrow keys move left and right.

       The spacebar is used to place or grab blocks.

       The b/n keys are used to change the colour of the placed blocks.

       The s/w keys are used to sleep/wake the player.

       The Esc key is used to quit the game.

       The game resolution and use of fullscreen or a window can be set by editing the files in /etc/between.

SEE ALSO

       The website: http://www.esquire.com/features/best-and-brightest-2008/rohrer-game

       http://www.destructoid.com/jason-rohrer-s-new-game-between-is-out-111382.phtml

       http://mile222.com/2008/11/jason-rohrers-latest-game-between-leaves-me-unenthused/

       http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3853/persuasive_games_disjunctive_play.php

       http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/42515

       http://kotaku.com/5096755/disjunctive-play-and-otherness-between

                                                  December 2010                                       between(6)