Ends of Time explores the question, what could a sustainable, balanced future look like, where we are connected with our roots, our technology, and each other. You play as a character in this future, out exploring with your wind scooter. You find a radio receiver that connects you to the past, where humanity is stricken by war, and turmoil. Through dialogue and cooperation you come to understand each other’s worlds, a compassionate look at our challenges today, and an inspiring look at what we could become if we solve them.
This experience is being delivered in virtual reality, because it affords the ability embody the values through action. Players literally ‘act out’ solutions to support biodiversity, community power and mutual aid. Fully immersive environments have the ability to soothe and soften. Ends of Time wants to take the gentle colors of ghibli, mobius, and wrap the player in them. This gentle world will create a peaceful place to go and engage with the difficult dialogue about our uncertain future.
Exploration, discovery, and problem solving - using virtual reality, the player inhabits this world, exploring and experiencing it, collecting, combining, and creating things to achieve their goals. Temporal teamwork - the two leads exist at two ends of the timeline and will be able to work together, sending new ideas to the past, or making changes that can impact the future Sustainable solutions - as you move through the world you will learn about the solutions that exist today, that your people use to survive. Collect parts, contribute to gardens, and help your people thrive.
The player is exploring when they discover a receiver to a war-torn past. Those on the other end demand to know how they ‘won the war’. Family and friends are all baffled, so you visit ‘the wise’, where many go to learn. The wise know the histories and have foreseen this, with the promise of answers, they send the player and the pastlings into the bowels of an ancient relic, the very ship the pastlings broadcast from. The player navigates the ship with the help of the voices from the past, arriving at the cockpit, where they help the voices de-escalate the war that left the ship a floating relic, neutralising its threat to the players time, and setting the past right The player asks why the relic isn’t restored, and the destruction reversed - the wise share that by changing their past, they made them a new future, but the players past, and its lessons remain.
Our culture is shaped by stories, but there aren’t many positive visions of our future that reconcile human nature, our technology, and the realities of the challenges we face. Ends of Time presents a hopeful but realistic vision of the future. One where humanity has passed through the bottleneck of climate, war, and economic crises, and found balance. The goal here is to explore the pathways through our challenging times to a safe and sustainable future. But not to a techno-utopia, of shimmering spires and floating space stations.
Currently in development and looking for creative partners and funding
Get access on AppLab or say hi to me@samueltate.com
Samuel Tate Goudie - 2022
@Samueltates