“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” - Desmond Tutu

I couldn’t think of a better quote for this game, Seen. I am not an expert or an experienced player so I am not going to use any kind of fancy words, but I think that it is worth reviewing this game so that more people “see” it.

Seen is a single player puzzle game. It is about a sad boy whose only company is a cat. As a player, you can recognize that the boy is sad from his gloomy and crying face. We don’t have much information about the boy’s background and the reason why he is sad. It seems that the boy grows up in a toxic and abusive environment.

As a player you need to collect as much “Hope” as you can. “Hope” is symbolized by a bright blue orb, in contrast to “Disappointment” which is symbolized by a bright red orb. Your “Determination” is showed and proved by how much “Hope” you collect.

The game takes place at a sizable dark and moody town, which consists of high modern buildings. I could say that the developers keep the design of the environment simple and modern. Mainly your character is auto-running through different rooms, in different buildings, on different floors and collecting “Hope”. When he is in auto-run mode, basically, the only thing that he can do is to jump and collect orbs. On the contrary, when he is able to move freely, he can also pick up and use tools. In other words, it’s a combination of auto-run segments and free movements. Moreover, the puzzles, that you face as a player, are generally of average difficulty and I personally think that they are well-balanced (difficulty gradually increases). In addition, I find the soundtrack inspiring and uplifting, and when necessary the music is overwhelming, melancholic and heavyhearted. I believe that music plays an important role here because it stirs different emotions in different environments. Further, it is noteworthy and impressive that during the whole playthrough you see quotes of famous people appearing. An exceptional quote is: “The negativity of the world can’t put you down unless you allow it to get inside you”, by Goi Nasu. Most notable are the quotes that the player sees when his character fails. Each time that he fails a motivational quote appears. I think that a remarkable quote is: “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop”, by Confucius. If the character fails often, the same quotes are repeated. Personally, the fact that you read the same quotes over and over doesn’t bother me. After all, we say: “Repetition is the mother of learning”, by Zig Ziglar.

Regardless of what kind of information we have for our character or what you can see as a player, there are underlying meanings that each person can perceive differently. I find noticeable the choice of the colors which represent “Hope” (shades of blue) and “Disappointment” (red). Blue is mostly associated with harmony, tranquility, faithfulness, confidence and protection. On the other hand, red is ubiquitously used to warn and signal caution, danger and aggression. Furthermore, I think that the presence of the cat is heart-warming. Despite the loneliness that the character is going through, he has a cat as company. That gives the player a feeling of relief. Even though the cat seems sad too, having someone sharing the same feelings with you is supportive. What I also find impressive is the character’s ability to turn on the lights whenever he wants to, as long as there is electricity in the building. This character’s action and ability remind me of Marcus Aurelius’ quote: “You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” I regard the turning on of the lights as choosing light over darkness, happiness over sadness. It is the choice, that you have, to dominate your thoughts and to seek light, happiness. Moreover, there is a scene in which the character chooses not to perform an act of violence upon one of his abusers. That scene evokes a quote by Marcus Aurelius: “The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.” An excellent reminder which we shouldn’t forget. Further, there are many achievements almost for every orb that you collect and some players may find this disturbing. I find this reward system a great reminder which teaches us the need of rewarding ourselves, even for the small steps we take. Sometimes we tend to forget that we make progress and we don’t give credit to ourselves when we do a good job.

I prefer to look at this game as a piece of art. I choose to look at it as I would look at a painting. When I look at a painting, even if I already know the interpretation of the artist, I still can perceive it differently or I can see and interpretate things that the artist didn’t find important to mention. Every person has different experiences and the view of the same thing will stimulate different memories and eventually different interpretations.

You have early access to the game which is not finished yet. As a player I would like the game to have different endings. I would like to have the ability to choose my own ending. Even if the ending, that the player chooses, doesn’t lead to a happy outcome, it will still be a reminder that “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that”, by Martin Luther King Jr.

In conclusion, if you are looking for a game just to have fun and relax, Seen isn’t for you. Seen is for the “thinkers”. Even then, it is your choice how you perceive this game. Will you choose to perceive it as a sad game or as a game that makes you realize or reminds you that we choose our happiness by dominating our thoughts, by choosing hope over despair, action over inaction, taking up over giving up, forgiveness over punishment, love over hate, faith over fear, patience over impatience. So, hey player, what do you choose? Light or darkness?

I would like to close my review with a quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky: “I can see the sun, but even if I cannot see the sun, I know that it exists. And to know that the sun is there - that is living.”


P.S. An admirable and marvelous idea, which definitely gets a “ thumbs up” from me!