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.
Developer
Publisher
Release
January 5, 2017
9 years and 211 days ago
Steam Reviews
Mostly Positive126 reviews77.8%
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Game contextLatest: IGF Team
| ContextThe evidence factors used to assess whether this game belongs on IndieGame.Fan. | Status | Notes Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes |
|---|---|---|
Updated: Jul 11, 2026Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer. | ||
Updated: Jul 11, 2026Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher. | ||
Updated: Jul 11, 2026Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified. | ||
Updated: Jul 11, 2026Release statusWhether and how the game has been released. |
Media
7 itemsAbout 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:
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
