mirror, mirror

“A game about perception, through and through.

Bearing witness to the girl in the mirror, you, the Player, respond to her quiet inquiries into what it takes to be liked and significant. Subsequently, she internalizes and incorporates your opinion into herself, becoming entirely adorned with your perception.

You are asked to interact with the world and physically cut the flowers that the girl will base her self-image around, becoming a direct contributor to her sense of self. We can’t not perceive and be perceived by the world around us. The mechanic of cutting flora from the garden utilizes flower language to this end: we ascribe meaning and vested words into flowers, yet those decisions are made by the viewer, not the one being viewed.

Yet we are not plants, but humans with autonomy. We can search inside ourselves and be true to the genuine self we meet within. Through this experience, layered and abstract, I hope to inspire contemplation and self-reflection on the topic of perception and identity.”

Play the full game on itch.io.

Informed by her identity as a gay Chinese American, as well as her experiences in this at-times mortifying ordeal we call life, Rachel Geng aspires to inspire glimmers of hope through her creative practice. To be human is to live through times of darkness, and she wants to be there to hold your hand—somehow, in some way—through it all.

Illustration, experience design, and a dash of prose are the skills leveraged in each creative piece, whether it be visual art, comics, or games. No matter the medium, she strives to explore themes of learned helplessness and cruelty, and tell stories of determination and the pursuit of happiness.

This was the sort of art that guided Rachel to where she is today, and as a creator it would be her greatest honor to spend her life returning the favor!

See more of Rachel’s work on her website, Instagram, and Twitter.