The End was exhaustively researched in both its content and form. Below you’ll find two document that give a window into the research sources used for the game.
Players consistently asked us if there was a place that compiled all the mortality-related content referenced in the game in one place. While we had collected all the writing in script documents, we realized that we’d not put all the sources cited in a single spot for easy access after players completed their journey. Here is our answer to that request. Modeled after Candice Benbow’s stunning syllabus of theoretical and creative inspiration sources relating to Beyoncé’s album Lemonade, this document collects all the works cited in the May 2017 run of the game.
The End Syllabus
In addition to content specifically about death and dying, the team researched a wealth of other areas including game design, different genres of gameplay, interactive theater works that could provide inspiration, and simulation-based learning. At the culmination of our development phase, Sam Wend synthesized all that research in this theater-style dramaturgy packet. In the link below you’ll find short synopses of key sources and their relevance to the project. Also included are references to conversations we had with field experts that we consulted while creating the game.
swimpony.org 