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Thing-in-Itself

“Thing-in-Itself” is a short interactive story about the struggles of understanding another human being. Using Immanuel Kant’s concept as a framework, it leads the player through stages of a relationship, exploring how perceptions may clash and surroundings can alter.

Release
January 5, 2017
9 years and 257 days ago
Steam Reviews
Mostly Positive126 reviews77.8%
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Game contextLatest: IGF Team
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Updated: Jul 11, 2026Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer.
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Updated: Jul 11, 2026Release statusWhether and how the game has been released.

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About the Game

Ted and Molly are together. Ted feels a connection to Molly wherever he looks.
But, how do they both really see the relationship? See each other?


“Thing-in-Itself” is a short interactive story about the struggles of understanding another human being. Using Immanuel Kant’s concept as a framework, it leads the player through stages of a relationship, exploring how perceptions may clash and surroundings can alter.

With an average walkthrough time of 15 minutes, “Thing-in-Itself” is not a game in a traditional sense – it doesn’t have win or lose conditions and doesn’t present challenge to the player.

With this project, Party for Introverts attempts to establish a connection between the mediums of game and short story, reworking the possibilities when narrative and interactivity merge.

Key Features:
  • Short, impactful interactive story that combines the motifs of German philosophy with a theme of modern relationship
  • 15-minute walkthrough accompanied by inspired voice acting
  • Emotional journey made relatable through casual interactions, dialogue choices and environmental changes
  • Original musical score created by Elena Alekseeva

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