a typical day at the grocery store

'a typical day at the grocery store' is a tiny vignette about how our typical way of life has been alienated by the ongoing pandemic. Grocery shopping is a small, ritualistic experience that is often considered an afterthought. However, framed by the pandemic, we are much more aware of our bodies, the space between them, as well as every other little thing.

The goal, of course, is to safely collect everything on your grocery list, self-checkout, and head home. To access the grocery list, press 'z' at any point during gameplay. To move, use the WASD keys; to look around, move the mouse.

I really wanted to experiment with the much more immersive but still charming pixelated Bitsy 3D. The camera settings and ability to make a 'first-person' style game in the engine really added to the embodiment of the player as their avatar, wheeling around a grocery cart in the store. Of course, the constraints of the Bitsy 3D engine made certain aspects challenging at first, but these constraints became assets. I wanted to incorporate sprite movement around the map which is not possible natively within Bitsy. However, working around these eventually made for the occasional jarring 'blip' in movement as the player unknowingly teleports between identical versions of the same room, which feels just odd enough to disorient the player for a second. Occasionally, other patrons may approach the player or get in their way - hopefully adding to the mild paranoia in navigating the rather cramped rows.

Ultimately, 'a typical day at the grocery store' hopes to capture the very real shift in thought and behavior in completing once menial and nearly thoughtless tasks.

CREDITS:

• bitsy 3D by aloelazoe
• HACKS USED:
  • bitsymuse
  • close on ending
  • custom keyhandlers
  • long dialog
  • unique items
• sound effects made in bfxr
• background music adapted in beepbox from this midi