Sea of Solitude belongs to Cornelia Geppert. It’s an intensely personal voyage exploring depression and relationships – not common topics for a game, and just as unusual for Connie, who had never designed a game that drew on such emotional themes.
Connie runs Jo-Mei, an indie studio in Berlin, but SOS was to be published by Electronic Arts through their EA Originals programme. As part of the publishing package, EA offered Jo-Mei some support in kind which included narrative and audio help from Criterion.
I was part of that EA support package. After a couple of days of face-to-face work with Connie and many more days playing early builds of the game, I offered script suggestions and feedback for how she could tell her story better. And it was always her story. Our role was mostly advisory and I’m happy to say that my suggestions were sometimes heeded, sometimes ignored, as Connie protected her vision and stayed true to her intentions.
The resulting game is powerful and unique. I’m very glad to have played even the smallest part in its development.
“A dazzling and cathartic exploration of mental health.”
The Guardian
“The most frank, honest portrayal of depression we’ve seen in games.”
Daily Star
“If you ever needed a sign that video games have matured, this is it.”
The Sixth Axis
“Kay’s story, while mysterious, is completely relatable.”
Game Daily
“It might even hit a little too close to home for some. Sea of Solitude is beautiful and dark and tragic — and if you happen to see yourself in it, those feelings only multiply.”
The Verge
“If you enjoyed games like Journey or Rime, then this is a must buy… 9.5/10”
God is a Geek
“Sea of Solitude presents difficult subject matter perfectly in every way… 5/5 stars”
The Gamer
“A masterpiece of storytelling, art-design and thematic visualisation… 9/10”
Critical Hit
David Varela 