Today I Die

By: Derek Yu

On: May 9th, 2009

Today I Die is the last in a trilogy of art-games designed by Daniel Benmergui that deals with causality and human relationships. In each of the three games – Storyteller, I Wish I Were the Moon, and Today I Die – he gives the player a unique mechanic with which to play with these themes. In Storyteller, the mechanic is dragging and dropping, in I Wish I Were the Moon it’s photography, and in Today I Die, it’s poetry. I enjoyed all the games very much, but I appreciate them even more as a kind of gaming triptych.

Today I Die is definitely the most “gamey” of the three, and involves some action and puzzle-solving. But like all art-games the value doesn’t come from the challenge so much as the way players can explore a concept through simple interaction and possibly find tender or revelatory moments inside. Causality, in particular, is a rich concept that’s been important in philosophy as far back as Aristotle, who defined four types of causes that can all be seen in these games. It’s also the central theme of Gregory Weir’s I Fell in Love with the Majesty of Colors, which was inspired by Daniel’s work.

Daniel is trying out an interesting business model to support his games (i.e. keep them ad-free) – sponsors who donate a certain amount can receive prizes like custom characters or custom endings.

TIGdb: Entry for Today I Die