Can a video game actually help you process grief better than traditional therapy? Michael Stevens explores In Between, an indie puzzle game that uses gravity manipulation and surreal visuals to guide players through the five stages of grief. Created by a tiny three-person team over four years, this isn't your typical gaming recommendation.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

• How the game's difficulty curve literally mirrors the emotional stages of grief

• Why rotating gravity to solve puzzles creates unexpected moments of catharsis

• The story behind Gentlymad Studios' four-year labor of love and personal healing

• How each chapter's unique visual style represents denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance

👤 Perfect for: curious listeners who appreciate how art and technology can tackle life's biggest challenges in unexpected ways.

📍 Chapters:

[00:00] Michael introduces the indie game that changed his perspective on loss

[01:45] The gravity-defying mechanics that make grief tangible

[04:15] How a three-person team spent four years crafting emotional truth

[06:30] Why the hardest levels come in the middle (just like real grief)

[08:45] The visual poetry of each grief stage brought to life

[11:00] Why this might be the most therapeutic 3 hours you'll spend gaming

This episode hits different if you've ever struggled to process loss or wondered how interactive media can create genuine emotional breakthroughs. Stevens breaks down why In Between succeeds where other "serious games" fall flat, and how the developers turned personal pain into universal healing.

🔔 Never miss an episode:

Follow When Rome Burns and turn on notifications. Multiple episodes drop daily, and tomorrow Michael's covering how ancient Roman funeral rites compare to modern grief counseling. You won't want to miss that connection.

🔍 Topics: indie games, grief counseling, interactive therapy, emotional healing, game design

-----------

Keywords: historical failures, naval warfare, gold standard, ned kelly, historical disasters, history podcast, war stories, empire decline

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices