One of the things I love about indie games is their ability to take formulas exercised in other games, simplify them, and make them much more compelling. Games such as Super Meat Boy and VVVVVV are perfect examples, and now an upstart developer run by three friends is exploring the game-making process. Though nowhere near as fleshed out as the aforementioned titles, Convergence from Streetlight Studios is a fairly deep, thought-provoking game that’s worth your time if you want to play something a little different than the norm.
Convergence has you playing through three stages of life: infancy, adulthood, and old age. The three chapters are relatively short, but during the different stages, you must perform tasks and make decisions. These decisions ultimately shape the person your onscreen character will become.
From childhood, you play games with your older sibling and decide whether you want to be a good kid or a disobedient child. As an adult, you are tasked with busy office job duties, and you can either be a devoted spouse to your significant other or choose the workaholic route. Finally, during your elderly period, you see the type of person that your previous decisions molded you into, and end the game either satisfied with the results or disappointed with what you could have done differently.
Convergence poses an interesting premise, and the decision-making in the game (which leads to different endings) is a gameplay feature that will have you returning to the game time and again. Actually, I would highly recommend playing through Convergence multiple times. The few endings I got during my multiple playthroughs ranged from happy-go-lucky to a little depressing.
Convergence takes the major decision-making of everyday human life and compacts it into a small browser-based package. It’s almost like an accelerated life sim, and it’s a compelling experience to say the least. If you have a few minutes to spare and are even remotely interested in unique ideas in video games, you should definitely give Convergence a try.
