It took a while, but after a delay from its original September release, DreadXP and LUAL Games KIG’s [I] doesn’t exist is finally out on Steam and itch.io, and includes a limited-time 10% launch week discount. The modern text adventure exploring control, isolation, and mental health arrives with a new launch trailer, featuring a quote from Harrison’s review.

Taking cues from classic text-based adventure games such as Zork and more modern fare like Buddy Simulator 1984, [I] doesn’t exist pays homage to the roots of narrative-driven gaming while aiming to elevate the text adventure genre. By incorporating conversational text recognition, surreal pixel art, and unconventional, intrapersonal themes, [I] doesn’t exist prompts players to introspect what it really means to be “human.”

In the game, players awake in an unfamiliar forest with illogical scenery and oddities like friendly, talking mushrooms. As they command their in-game avatar and contemplate the solution to puzzles (and the meaning of their existence) to escape the seemingly innocuous forest, the façade begins to show its cracks to reveal something far more sinister.

Utilizing a mix of 2D and 3D perspective through optical illusion, [I] doesn’t exist leads players through a trippy, dreamlike experience crafted to reflect the title’s surreal tale. The game’s text-based narrative design is supported by modern “Natural Language Processing” technology, which allows players to creatively answer in-game prompts without sticking to a set of specific terms. This in turn makes for an eerily intuitive gameplay experience that’s accessible to newcomers and veterans alike.