Torpor

Although they are not always accurate or reliable, our memories are the way we can remember the past and learn from it, not to mention re-live some of our happy moments. As many books and movies have shown, it would be quite interesting to see other people’s memories, especially if you want to find out about something from their past, be it good or bad.

Torpor is a very intriguing adventure game that presents itself in a unique way, one that may baffle you for a few minutes until you understand how to approach it. As such, the underlying idea is that you have the power to touch objects and instantly see the memory attached to it. It’s quite engaging, but since this is a very short game, the effect is not as great as it could have been.

The story revolves around two men and their lives before one of them shoots the other during a war. As such, you start somewhere in a field, near the body of the man you’ve just killed. By touching some of his things, you can be transported into the memory associated with it. As an example, touching the teddy bear he carries around takes you to his child’s bedroom.

There’s not much else you can do, unfortunately, other than walk around and inspect the environment for anything that might lead to you to another memory. It’s also possible to go full circle if you want, since it’s quite easy and quick to go back to the field where it all started. A few puzzles or at least more interaction would have helped a lot with the atmosphere.

Speaking of which, the graphics are based on low-poly models and simple shading, but the whole thing comes together rather nicely. In fact, some of the landscapes look extremely moody, at least if you let your imagination do some of the job. As mentioned before, on the other hand, the environments can be a bit too empty sometimes, which has unpleasant effects on the atmosphere.

In the end, Torpor is something that could make it big if more content is added, although it would probably take a long time. Even so, it’s worth considering, especially since the idea is very intriguing and somewhat original.