So I’m sitting here with my iPad next to me. On the tablet is a slowly rotating mountain. I’ve seen many things on the mountain: glowing trees, a bronze disc that might have been a UFO or might have been oversized coin, a strange spire that looked like a sword blade stabbing itself out of the ground. If I want I can play simple tunes at the bottom of the screen, but this seemingly has no impact on the mountain. I could rotate the mountain myself by dragging my finger around, but there seems to be little point in doing so. Better to let the mountain rotate at its own pace.
Night comes and a single piano note plays. The words “I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS MURKY DARKNESS” appear. This mountain is alive, you see. Or the mountain is me. I’m not really sure. Other than the occasional piano note and a few ambient sounds - chirping, wind, rain - there is no sound. Sometimes a choir pipes up to signal a change in the seasons. It has changed from summer to autumn now, or I assume so since all the trees have gone a pretty shade of brown.
“I’M PLEASED WITH THIS WONDROUS NIGHT”. Despite the fairly simple, low-poly look this is a beautiful game. Game? Simulation. App? Thing. A drawing pin has appeared on the mountain now, sticking into the top. It’s also started snowing. I don’t know if that means anything. It probably doesn’t. I am strangely entranced by this whole experience, even though the last time I actually touched the iPad was when it almost fell off my desk.
“WHY AM I ALL ALONE?”. It’s winter now and I can barely see the mountain through the snow and fog. The mountain is asking me philosophical questions like I know the answers. Is the mountain supposed to be god? Am I supposed to be god staring at a mountain? Why is god staring at a mountain? Why am I staring at this mountain? A single piano note plays again and the words “ALL I DO IS SPIN AROUND” appear on the screen.
I know, mountain. I know.
