Patrick Jarnfelt, Andrea Hasselager Interactive Book and a Platforming Game, 2015. iPad

The Circle is a profound existential universe about an imperfect Circle setting out on a journey to look for something to complete it.

The circle is an appealing character who, through its very simple and abstract form, is a character that one can ascribe different emotions to. The character is in essence a fragmented soul. It is missing a piece. So, the circle goes out into the world to look for something; its personality is not yet fully developed, like a hild/teenager. Its personality is much like a child: Curious, explorative, wondering. On its trip it figures out some things about itself and the surrounding world. It meets several characters, for example, the very self-indulgent balloon shrub. The schizophrenic patchwork piece and the incredibly conservative “stuck”-piece who prefers to grow roots and never move. As it meets these fragments in its life, it will learn many life lessons. Maybe there isn’t one right piece for the circle. Maybe the right piece is not the piece it thought it would be.

This is an interactive book and a platforming game juxtaposed. Each frame of the game looks like a page in a children’s book, but plays as classical platformer, where each piece gives the circle different abilities. This is an interesting exploration of the inter-section of interactive media and storytelling.