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Human Nature Of A Dark Room

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There is nothing humans like more than searching for purpose. This takes place in many different forms including but not limited to, organized religion, philosophy, mass movements, or even just a career. Humans are inherently curious creatures, constantly asking why or what if. It’s human nature. The game, A Dark Room makes a statement about this aspect of human nature. The Dark Room is a game revolved around building a society. While the game is great at teaching resource management, there is a deeper meaning behind the building of huts and exploration of a “dusty path”. At the beginning of the game the player is introduced to the “Builder” a character , who at first, willingly creates things for the player given the needed supplies. Throughout …show more content…

From the beginning, it is obvious that the Builder works hard for the player because she’s yearning for a sense of purpose. One of the very first lines she says is, “The simple task brings solace, gives purpose. Can’t complain.” At this point the Builder is content, happy even to be working. The player doesn’t know anything about where this character came from, but for now Builder has purpose in her life. Soon however, as the village progresses, she starts saying things like, “The worry in her eyes grows” or “ The builder finishes the smokehouse. Her reluctance shows” Yet the Builder remains a character in the game, continuing to build the things the player needs. The Builder cannot leave, her sense of purpose is tied to this village, to building. Her name after all is literally “The Builder”. Eventually when the population becomes slaves the message is made clear. The people in the village have become slaves to their work. Humans cannot let themselves becomes slave to their sense of purpose. It’s been seen countless times. When people blindly follow a mass movement, or work day and night never giving themselves a moment's break. They are letting this need for a purpose dictate their lives, making them slaves without even realising it. Much like how “population” changed to “slaves” without a moment’s …show more content…

One of the reasons the player stays interested is the lack of knowledge. The player pretty much has to figure out how the game works for themselves with little to no instructions. The reason the player will continue to play is mostly because of curiosity. Yet as the player explores more of the dusty path, the unhappier the villagers get. The builder’s comments include things like, “She weeps, but the thirst to conquer is unrelenting.” or “Tears well in her eyes. She says to stop venturing out.” The village is unhappy, but that doesn’t stop the player. They continue to venture on eventually leave behind the village due to this curiosity. Curiosity killed the cat, and satisfaction may have brought it back, but at what cost? The player has exploited the villagers, eventually turning them into slaves. Again, there’s a deeper message here. Much like in the case of the villagers finding a purpose, the player has, without even realising it, became consumed by this curiosity. In the same way that people often become consumed by their own need to succeed that they become unaware of how their actions affect those around them. In this way, A Dark Room is serving as an example of how easy it is to find this situation presenting

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