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New Scientist recommends the ‘surprisingly emotional’ Game of Sisyphus

The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week
Screengrab The Game of Sisyphus
The Game of Sisyphus
Steam

As a humorous comment on the gamification of daily life, it is hard to beat this tweet from 2021: “ would be much happier if they had a big number at the top of the mountain that incremented with each successful rock push, and also if they let him spend those points on fun stickers for the rock.”

So, naturally, I have been playing . Based on the Greek myth of a king punished by the gods to do an eternal task, plus Albert Camus’s essay The Myth of Sisyphus, the goal is to push a rock to the top of a hill, avoiding obstacles, only to see it roll down again.

Despite the inevitable frustration, playing felt surprisingly emotional. I had a genuine sense of achievement after negotiating a particularly tricky ramp – a world away from the grinding emptiness of constantly levelling up in a game.

Kidreed, a reviewer on online games platform Steam, puts it well: “Did I cry because of this game? Yes. Did it feel amazing when I finished? Also yes.”

Topics: games / Video games