Core Concept

This is a first-person simulation game that puts the player in the shoes of an artist working in San Francisco's tech industry, navigating a toxic and increasingly abusive marriage. The game is set just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the protagonist facing frequent unemployment as the industry begins to struggle. The core gameplay focuses on surviving the emotional and psychological toll of the relationship, with different choices leading to a range of potential outcomes.

Gameplay Systems

• Emotional and Mental Health Meters: The game would need a system to track the player's emotional state, sanity, and stress levels. Actions within the toxic relationship—arguments, manipulation, gaslighting—would directly impact these meters. The player's ability to cope, perhaps through their art or the use of their prescribed medication, would be a key part of the gameplay.

• Resource Management: This system would be two-fold. First, the player would need to manage their finances, which are a source of conflict due to frequent unemployment. Second, they would manage personal resources, such as their marijuana and Adderall prescriptions, which could provide temporary relief from stress and anxiety, but may come with their own side effects or consequences.

• Dialogue and Choice System: The game would feature a complex dialogue system where the player's choices directly affect the dynamics of the relationship. Choosing to stand up for yourself might lead to a blow-up, while choosing to placate your partner might temporarily calm the situation but decrease your self-worth.

Player Actions & Consequences

• Job Hunting: The player would need to navigate the difficult job market, with each rejection or failed interview impacting their mental state and increasing tension in the relationship.

• Artistic Expression: Creating art could serve as a core coping mechanism and a way to earn money, but it could also become a source of conflict if the partner is unsupportive or jealous.

• Relationship Navigation: The player must make difficult choices in conversation and daily interactions. These choices would have ripple effects on the relationship, escalating or de-escalating conflicts in subtle ways.

• Coping Mechanisms: Using the medication and marijuana would serve as a gameplay mechanic to manage the emotional meters. Their use and effects would be a consequence the player would have to weigh, reflecting the real-world complexities of self-medication.

Narrative & Ending

• Setting: The game's setting in a San Francisco apartment just before the pandemic provides a unique atmosphere of claustrophobia and impending global crisis, mirroring the personal crisis of the relationship.

• Goal Tiers/Outcomes: The game's narrative has a clear, branching structure with multiple possible endings, which are tiered from least to most tragic. These include:

  • Nobody dies: The relationship ends, and both parties move on to rebuild their lives.

  • One or both parties go to jail: The conflict escalates to a legal breaking point.

  • One or both parties die: The relationship ends in tragedy.

• Story Progression: The narrative would progress through a series of key moments or "chapters" that highlight the escalating toxicity. The player's actions will push them toward one of the final goal tiers.

Potential Design Notes

• Authenticity and Sensitivity: Given the subject matter, the design would need to be handled with extreme care and sensitivity to avoid trivializing or sensationalizing abuse.

• Symbolic Elements: The apartment itself could be a character in the game, reflecting the state of the relationship. It could become more cluttered, oppressive, or damaged as the game progresses.

• Visual and Auditory Design: A first-person perspective in VR or a similar medium would be crucial for immersing the player in the confined, tense atmosphere. The sound design could use whispers, raised voices, and jarring sound effects to create a sense of unease.