Everything (video game)

Last updated
Everything
Everything KeyArt.jpg
Developer(s) David OReilly
Publisher(s) Double Fine Productions
Programmer(s) Damien Quartz
Composer(s) Ben Lukas Boysen & Sebastian Plano
Engine Unity
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Linux, Nintendo Switch
Release
  • PlayStation 4
  • March 21, 2017
  • Windows, macOS
  • April 21, 2017
  • Linux
  • April 28, 2017
  • Nintendo Switch
  • January 10, 2019
Genre(s) Simulation, god game
Mode(s) Single-player

Everything is a simulation game developed by artist David OReilly. It was released for the PlayStation 4 on March 21, 2017, for Microsoft Windows and macOS on April 21, 2017, and for Linux on April 28, 2017. A Nintendo Switch version of the game was released on January 10, 2019. [1] It was released in Japan on February 13, 2020. [2] The player takes control of various lifeforms and inanimate objects, exploring the manually generated world and finding new things to control. Everything features quotations from philosopher Alan Watts and has no clear goal aside from occupying more objects within the game.

Contents

The game was a primary influence for the climax of the 2022 comedy-drama film Everything Everywhere All at Once . [3]

Gameplay

The player takes the form of any object and can interact with other objects, creating unique behaviors. Everything animation 12 - bcayhVD.gif
The player takes the form of any object and can interact with other objects, creating unique behaviors.

Everything is a simulation game where the player can explore a generated universe and control various objects. The player starts as one of many moving creatures. [4] Initially, the player can shift control to any creature or object smaller than the currently occupied one. The scale of gameplay expands or contracts accordingly. Eventually the player can only shift into smaller parts of matter, down to the sub-atomic level, after which the game then allows the player to shift to larger objects. From this point, the player can take forms that include landmasses, planets, and whole star systems. As the player moves and shifts forms, other creatures or objects speak. [5] The game uses many levels of existence, representing different length scales, which the player can move between while shifting into different objects. [6]

When a player bonds with a form for the first time, by moving or singing, that object is added to an in-game encyclopedia catalogued by type. At any time, the player can shift to any previously inhabited form, though this form will be scaled appropriately to the current scale the player is at. Taking the form of a planet in the middle of a street will produce a miniature-sized planet. A goal is to complete this encyclopedia and occupy all available objects. [7] Throughout the game, quotes from philosopher Alan Watts are presented. [5] Once the encyclopedia is complete, a New Game Plus-type mode is unlocked, but starting from any random object. [4]

Development

DavidOReilly (cropped).jpg
DamienDiFede (cropped).png
OReilly and Quartz
Everything uses very simple movement animations, such as having creatures roll instead of walk. Everything animation 20 - AGxQjSD.gif
Everything uses very simple movement animations, such as having creatures roll instead of walk.

Everything was developed by Irish artist David OReilly. He previously had developed the game Mountain , in which players have limited interactions with a virtual mountain. [8] Mountain had been developed using the Unity game engine, which OReilly had to learn. As he worked with it, he saw the potential about representing nature with real-time systems within Unity, forming part of the inspiration for Everything. [4]

The game was published by Double Fine Productions, which had also published Mountain. In the initial announcement, OReilly described the game as "about the things we see, their relationships, and their points of view. In this context, things are how we separate reality so we can understand it and talk about it with each other". [8] He also considered Everything to be a continuation of themes he had introduced in Mountain. [9] [5] Later, OReilly described his hope for players: "I want Everything to make people feel better about being alive. Not as an escape or distraction, or arbitrary frustration, but something you would leave and see the world in a new light." [10] Beside the ideas of Watts, OReilly said that Everything's approach and narrative includes Eastern philosophy, continental philosophy, and stoicism. [4]

The game was developed by a three-person team, including Damien Quartz, who had assisted OReilly in programming Mountain. [11] With the small team on an experimental game, several simplifications were made. For example, creatures do not have walk cycles but instead simply roll to move. OReilly said such decisions, while breaking the reality of the game are "the most interesting solution to particular problems in order to create a totality" for the work. [4] [12] [6] Additionally, OReilly considered how these animations were similar to the work done in early days of classical animation, where artists attempted to animate a wide range of objects. [13] The game's idle auto-play mode captured OReilly's idea that nature occurs independently of any human intervention. [4]

Reception

Polygon reviewed the game favorably, noting that it is a "magical playpen of being, rather than doing", while also pointing out its confusing, contradictory nature. [29]

An 11-minute trailer, featuring a voice-over by British philosopher Alan Watts, won the Jury Prize at the 2017 Vienna Independent Shorts film festival in May 2017. Due to this, it was on the long list for consideration for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 90th Academy Awards, making it the first video game trailer to qualify for the Oscars. [30] [31] Eurogamer ranked the game 37th of the "Top 50 Games of 2017", [32] and Polygon ranked it ninth of the 50 best games of 2017. [33]

The game won the award for "Most Innovative" at the Games for Change Awards, [34] and was nominated for "Best Indie Game" at the Golden Joystick Awards, [35] and for the Off-Broadway Award for Best Indie Game at the New York Game Awards 2018. [36] It was nominated for the "Innovation Award" at the 18th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards, [37] [38] for the "D.I.C.E. Sprite Award" at the 21st Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, [39] and for "Game, Special Class" at the 17th Annual National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards. [40] [41] Polygon named the game among the decade's best. [42]

The game was one of the primary influences for a climatic scene in the 2022 comedy-drama film Everything Everywhere All at Once , specifically the parallel universe in which the protagonist Evelyn Wang and her daughter Jobu Tupaki are rocks. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David OReilly (artist)</span>

David OReilly is an Irish artist, film maker and game developer based in Los Angeles, California, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Hennig</span> American video game writer and director

Amy Hennig is an American video game writer and director, formerly for the video game company Naughty Dog. She began her work in the industry on the Nintendo Entertainment System, with her design debut on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System game Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City. She later went to work for Crystal Dynamics, working primarily on the Legacy of Kain series. With Naughty Dog, she worked primarily on the Jak and Daxter and Uncharted series, the latter of which she created.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World 1-1</span> Video game level

World 1-1 is the first level of Super Mario Bros., Nintendo's 1985 platform game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The level was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto to be a tutorial for new players, orienting them to platform jumping and to the rest of the game. It is one of the most iconic video game levels and has been widely imitated and parodied.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild</i> 2017 video game

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a 2017 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch and Wii U. Set at the end of the Zelda timeline, the player controls an amnesiac Link as he sets out to save Princess Zelda and prevent Calamity Ganon from destroying the world. Players explore the open world of Hyrule while they collect items and complete objectives such as puzzles or side quests. Breath of the Wild's world is unstructured and encourages exploration and experimentation; the story can be completed in a nonlinear fashion.

<i>Gone Home</i> 2013 video game

Gone Home is a first-person exploration video game developed and published by The Fullbright Company. Gone Home was first released for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux computers in August 2013, followed by console releases for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in January 2016, the Nintendo Switch in September 2018, and iOS in December 2018.

<i>Mountain</i> (video game) 2014 video game

Mountain is a simulation video game developed by David OReilly and published by Double Fine Productions. It was released for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, and iOS in July 2014. The game is an idle game in which the only influence the player can have on the game is at the start of the game where the player is tasked to draw objects. The game is designed to be played in the background while the player uses other applications.

<i>Night in the Woods</i> 2017 video game

Night in the Woods is a 2017 single-player adventure video game developed by Infinite Fall and published by Finji. Set in a world of zoomorphic humans, the story follows a young feline woman named Mae, who drops out of college and returns to her hometown to find unexpected changes, alongside Bea, a gothic crocodile woman and her childhood best friend. The game was funded via Kickstarter, where it earned over 400% of its initial US$50,000 funding goal.

<i>Stardew Valley</i> 2016 video game

Stardew Valley is a 2016 farm life simulation role-playing video game developed by Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone. Players take the role of a character who inherits their deceased grandfather's dilapidated farm in a place known as Stardew Valley. The game was originally released for Windows in February 2016 before being ported to other platforms. Stardew Valley is an open-ended game, allowing players to grow crops, raise livestock, fish, cook, mine, forage, and socialize with the townspeople, including the ability to marry and have children. It allows up to eight players to play online together.

<i>Celeste</i> (video game) 2018 platform game

Celeste is a 2018 platform game developed and published by indie studio Maddy Makes Games. The player controls Madeline, a young woman with anxiety and depression who aims to climb Celeste Mountain. During her climb, she encounters several characters, including Part of You, a personification of her self-doubt who attempts to stop her from climbing the mountain.

<i>Overcooked</i> 2016 video game

Overcooked is a 2016 cooking simulation game developed by Ghost Town Games and published by Team17. In a local cooperative experience, players control a number of chefs in kitchens filled with various obstacles and hazards to rapidly prepare meals to specific orders under a time limit. The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in August 2016. A Nintendo Switch version was released in July 2017.

<i>Super Mario Odyssey</i> 2017 video game

Super Mario Odyssey is a 2017 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. An entry in the Super Mario series, it follows Mario and his new ally Cappy—a sentient hat that allows Mario to control other characters and objects—as they journey across various kingdoms to save Princess Peach from Mario's nemesis Bowser's plans of forced marriage. In contrast to the linear gameplay of prior entries, the game returns to the primarily open-ended, 3D platform gameplay featured in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine.

<i>Far: Lone Sails</i> 2018 video game

Far: Lone Sails is an exploration adventure videogame developed by the Swiss development company Okomotive. The game was released for Windows and macOS in May 2018, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in April 2019, for Nintendo Switch in August 2019, and for Android and iOS in October 2020. A sequel, Far: Changing Tides, was released in March 2022.

<i>Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle</i> 2017 video game

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is an action-adventure turn-based tactics video game developed by Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Paris and published by Ubisoft for the Nintendo Switch video game console. The game is a crossover between Nintendo's Mario and Ubisoft's Rabbids franchise. Its story follows Mario, his friends and the Rabbids, who try to save the Mushroom Kingdom from the latter's invading brethren following their mishandling of an avid Mario fan's powerful invention.

<i>Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp</i> 2017 mobile game by Nintendo in the Animal Crossing series

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is a 2017 free-to-play social simulation mobile game developed and published by Nintendo for iOS and Android devices. An installment in the Animal Crossing series, it was released in Australia in October 2017 and worldwide the following month. The game continues the series of social simulations that allow players to interact with a small campsite with various campers, performing small tasks, engaging in commerce, and decorating living spaces.

<i>Florence</i> (video game) 2018 interactive story and video game

Florence is an interactive story and video game developed by the Australian studio Mountains and published by Annapurna Interactive. The game was released on February 14, 2018 for iOS, on March 14, 2018 for Android, and for macOS, Nintendo Switch, and Windows on February 13, 2020.

<i>Manifold Garden</i> 2019 puzzle video game

Manifold Garden is a puzzle video game developed by American artist William Chyr. It was released on Windows, macOS, and iOS on October 18, 2019. The player must navigate an abstract series of structures that appear to repeat into infinity, while solving a progression of puzzles. Ports for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One were released on August 18, 2020. An upgraded version of the game was released for Xbox Series X and Series S as a launch title on November 10, 2020, and an upgraded PlayStation 5 version released on May 20, 2021.

<i>Baba Is You</i> 2019 puzzle video game

Baba Is You is a puzzle video game created by Finnish independent developer Arvi Teikari. The game centers around the manipulation of "rules"—represented in the play area by movable tiles with words written on them—in order to allow the player character, usually the titular Baba, to reach a specified goal. Originating as a short demo built for the 2017 Nordic Game Jam, the game was expanded and released on 13 March 2019 for PC and Nintendo Switch. Mobile versions were released in June 2021. A free update titled "Baba Make Level" was released on November 17, 2021, featuring 250 new and previously unused levels and a level editor with online sharing. Baba Is You received generally favorable reviews from critics.

<i>Bayonetta</i> Video game series

Bayonetta is a urban fantasy action-adventure video game franchise created by Hideki Kamiya. It is developed by PlatinumGames, owned by Sega, and, since the release of Bayonetta 2 in 2014, published by Nintendo. The franchise was introduced in 2009 with Bayonetta, which was followed by two sequels, Bayonetta 2 (2014) and Bayonetta 3 (2022), as well as a spinoff, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon (2023). The games follow the titular character, a witch who wields dual pistols, shooters in her high heels, and long, magically transforming hair which becomes a supernatural weapon.

Scribblenauts is a series of action puzzle video games primarily developed by independent studio 5th Cell. The series is owned and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The first game in the series was titled Scribblenauts and was first released on September 15, 2009, in North America, exclusively on the Nintendo DS. Since the release of the first game, five other Scribblenauts games have been released, in addition to two compilations and two comic adaptations.

References

  1. ↑ Frank, Allegra (2019-01-03). "Everything (the game) is heading to Switch". Polygon. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
  2. ↑ "Everything". Nintendo Japan. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Lee, Chris (April 13, 2022). "Daniels Unpack the Everything Bagel of Influences Behind Everything Everywhere All at Once". Vulture . Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Parton, Will (March 31, 2017). "A Short Conversation About 'Everything' with Creator David OReilly". Glixel . Archived from the original on April 3, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 Farokhmanesh, Megan (March 21, 2017). "A video game about being everything is less stressful than it sounds". The Verge . Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  6. 1 2 Pavlus, John (April 5, 2016). "A Video Game About The Secret Lives Of Everything In The Universe". Fast Company . Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  7. ↑ Parkin, Simon (March 21, 2017). "Everything is the most ambitious catalogue of things ever committed to a video game". Eurogamer . Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  8. 1 2 Muncy, Jake (March 10, 2016). "In the New Game Everything, You Can Be, Well, Everything". Wired . Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  9. ↑ Meija, Ozzie (March 8, 2016). "Double Fine explores Everything with the creator of Mountain". Shacknews . Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  10. ↑ Coulture, Joel (January 25, 2017). "Road to the IGF: David O'Reilly's Everything". Gamasutra . Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  11. ↑ Cone, Justin (July 14, 2014). "David O'Reilly: Mountain Q&A". Motiongrapher. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  12. ↑ Rossignol, Derrick (March 21, 2017). "Play as a ladybug or a traffic cone in 'Everything'". Engadget . Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  13. ↑ Francis, Bryant (April 21, 2017). "How Everything connects the arts of animation and game design". Gamasutra . Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  14. ↑ "EVERYTHING for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  15. ↑ "EVERYTHING for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Everything for Switch Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  17. ↑ Orme, Cody (24 April 2017). "Everything Review". Computer Games Magazine . Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  18. ↑ Tolentino, Josh (20 March 2017). "Review: Everything". Destructoid . Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  19. ↑ Schaefer, Emma (10 January 2019). "Everything review". Electronic Gaming Monthly . Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  20. ↑ Gwaltney, Javy (23 March 2017). "Everything Review - Sublime Exploration". Game Informer . Archived from the original on March 24, 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  21. ↑ Clark, Justin (21 March 2017). "Everything Review". GameSpot . Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  22. ↑ Reseigh-Lincoln, Dom (14 January 2019). "Everything Review (Switch eShop)". Nintendo Life . Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  23. ↑ Zawodniak, Melanie (31 January 2019). "Everything (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  24. ↑ Kelly, Andy (27 April 2017). "Everything review". PC Gamer . Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  25. ↑ Campbell, Colin (21 March 2017). "Everything review". Polygon . Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  26. ↑ Barker, Sammy (21 March 2017). "Everything Review (PS4)". Push Square . Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  27. ↑ Brewster, Kat (24 March 2017). "Everything review: a joyfully expansive dream of a game". The Guardian . Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  28. ↑ Bell, Alice (19 April 2017). "Everything Review". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  29. ↑ Campbell, Colin (March 21, 2017). "Everything review". Polygon. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  30. ↑ Riendeau, Danielle. "First Oscar-Qualifying Game Allows You to be 'Everything,' Even Poop". Vice .
  31. ↑ Matulef, Jeffrey (June 7, 2017). "Everything has the first video game trailer eligible for an Academy Award". Eurogamer . Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  32. ↑ Eurogamer staff (December 27, 2017). "Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2017: 40-31". Eurogamer. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  33. ↑ Polygon staff (December 18, 2017). "The 50 best games of 2017". Polygon. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  34. ↑ Crecente, Brian (August 1, 2017). "Game Based on 'Walden' Takes Top Honors at Games for Change Awards". Glixel . Archived from the original on March 19, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  35. ↑ Gaito, Eri (November 13, 2017). "Golden Joystick Awards 2017 Nominees". Best In Slot. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  36. ↑ Whitney, Kayla (January 25, 2018). "Complete list of winners of the New York Game Awards 2018". AXS . Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  37. ↑ Gamasutra staff (January 5, 2018). "Breath of the Wild & Horizon Zero Dawn lead GDC 2018 Choice Awards nominees!". Gamasutra . Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  38. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (March 22, 2018). "Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Wins Another Game Of The Year Award". GameSpot . Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  39. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (January 14, 2018). "Game Of The Year Nominees Announced For DICE Awards". GameSpot . Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  40. ↑ "Nominee List for 2017". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. February 9, 2018. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  41. ↑ "Horizon wins 7; Mario GOTY". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. March 13, 2018. Archived from the original on March 14, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  42. ↑ "The 100 best games of the decade (2010–2019): 50–11". Polygon . November 4, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.