Whomans?
a Video Game
We often focus on the negative impact we’ve had on the planet and the destructive state we might leave it in. People fear the end of humanity and our extinction — but perhaps it’s something we could actually look forward to.
My game presents a vision of the world after us — from the immediate and most devastating consequences, to eras of change and new growth. As the player travels from one level to the next and engages in dialogue with various characters, they learn what happened to humanity and explore the new, humanless world across the ages. Eventually, the player reaches a post-human world, entirely free of any trace of our existence.
The game offers a playful interpretation of what might otherwise be seen as a bleak scenario. It’s meant to encourage players not only to mourn our inevitable extinction, but to accept it — and even find joy in what comes next.
MEDIUM
I chose a 2D format for various reasons. I work and illustrate in 2D and wanted to keep this aesthetic in my game. The player’s linear movement from right to left worked well to convey the concept of a timeline. I didn’t want a world where the player could roam freely, but rather a line that must be followed. I digitally drew and animated the game graphics and used a script for a parallax camera effect to simulate natural movement in the game.
The game was built with Unity using various plugins and scripts that helped me create the dialogue system.
YEAR
2023
Weißensee Kunsthochschule semester project supervised by Barbara Junge and Julian Netzer.
Imagine a world without humans. No zombie apocalypse, no mass extinction — just a sudden, random disappearance. Would it really be so bad?
