Symposium of Grief is a witty, well crafted and painfully relatable 2D pixel art adventure which follows a ghost who is attempting to mend a broken heart.
In Symposium of Grief you take on the role of a ghostly protagonist who has recently gone through a tough break-up. You were once known as “Whole-Heart Ghost”, but now you’re simply called “Half-Heart Ghost” and your broken heart is plainly visible for all to see (because you’re a ghost). You can’t go on like this and soon set out to find some way of mending your broken heart.
Symposium of Grief isn’t a mushy “love conquers all” kind of story – it knows that there’s no (real) quick fix for a broken heart. The cure for a broken heart is a journey, not a destination – a journey very much like the one your Half-Heart Ghost goes on. A journey which takes them through the various stages of grief as they explore the small town in the afterlife they live in.
The pixel artwork, characters, 20’s soundtrack and witty dialogue are all fantastic in Symposium of Grief, but what hits you most is how relatable the subject matter is. As you explore the Half-Heart Ghost’s afterlife world you chat to lots of oddball friends and strangers, many of which have plenty of good (and bad) advice to give, often accompanied by stories of their own. If you’ve ever gone through a heartbreak then many of the stories and advice given to your ghostly protagonist will sound eerily familiar – as will your character’s reaction to them (you can only follow good advice once you’re ready to).
Considering Symposium of Grief is all about a ghost with a broken heart, you’d think that the game would be a bit of a downer, but thanks to its great sense of humor and insightful narrative it’s really quite uplifting. It’s a joy getting to know all the oddball inhabitants of the ghost-town and spending time with Half-Heart Ghost on a journey of recovery that we’ve all been on in some form or another. Highly recommended.
Controls: WASD – Movement, E – interact, Spacebar – Enter/Exit House/Progress Dialogue, Esc – Main Menu/Hints
Available On: Windows & Mac
Gameplay Video: Here
Download Symposium of Grief Here