MIKA CHRISTIANSEN

Seasonal Depression is a short 2.5D platformer experience that follows the story of Little Bud, a prematurely-born zinnia flower bud who finds himself in a world being destroyed by rapid shifts between the extremes of the four seasons. Upon learning this is the result of the formidable powers of the Spirit of the Seasons, Bud sets out on a journey to figure out what’s happened to her and to try and save his world from destruction. The work examines themes of depression and social anxiety, with Bud’s journey doubling as a representation of how it can be difficult to be the one to work up the courage to reach out to people who may be struggling while the chaos of the world’s weather represents the Spirit’s struggles and spiraling mental state. The gameplay puts a heavy emphasis on endurance– having the resilience to try again even if you fail, or to keep trying even if you feel like you are getting nowhere. The overall goal of the project is to encourage empathy and kindness towards others– just reaching out to someone may not save the world in real life, but even the smallest act could mean the world to that person.

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This work was originally created as my final project for my bachelor's degree at UCSD, in a two quarter project class that all ICAM majors must partake in. The game was created, from conception to final product, in roughly 22 weeks, with only me, myself, and I to create all of the assets- from code to models to cutscenes. I poured my heart and soul into every last piece of this work, and I hope you can tell in the final product.