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((Use dmy dates|date=March 2016))
((Infobox video game
| title = Essays on Empathy
| image = Essays on Empathy Cover.jpg
| caption = Steam header art 
| developer = [[Deconstructeam]]
| publisher = [[Devolver Digital]]
| director = 
| producer = 
| designer =
| programmer = 
| artist = 
| writer = 
| composer = 
| engine = 
| platforms = [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]
| released = 18 May 2021
| genre = [[Adventure game|Adventure]] 
| modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]]
))

'''''Essays on Empathy''''' is a 2021 [[video game]] compilation by Spanish independent developer [[Deconstructeam]] and published by [[Devolver Digital]]. The game contains ten short "interactive stories", including one new title, ''De Tres al Cuarto'', developed specifically for the compilation. Following the onset of the [[coronavirus pandemic]] in 2020, which negatively impacted the development team, the compilation was created as a side project to provide greater focus for the studio's previous shorter titles, many created for [[game jams]]. Upon release, ''Essays on Empathy'' received generally favorable reviews, with critics praising the game's ambitious narrative approach, treatment of complex themes, and additional making-of features, whilst critiquing the short duration of games and the absence of bugfixes and quality of life features.

== Gameplay ==

''Essays on Empathy'' is an anthology of ten games developed and released by [[Deconstructeam]],<ref name=V/><ref name=EG/> with the exception of one title, ''De Tres Al Cuarto'', being a new work created for the game.<ref name=V/> Games are presented in a menu, with each being playable in any order.<ref name=MS/> Selecting a game allows players to access a submenu that contains the game and an accompanying soundtrack, production sketches and documentary outlining the creation of the game.<ref name=V/>

=== List of games ===

{| class="wikitable sortable" 
|-
! Title
! Original release date
! Description 
|-
| Underground Hangovers
| 20 April 2015 
| A [[metroidvania]]-styled [[platform game|platformer]] in which the player assists a group of miners abandoned on the planet they were excavating.<ref name=GR/> 
|-
| Supercontinent LTD
| 30 August 2016
| A [[point-and-click adventure]] game in which the player is a hacker investigating the titular corporation Supercontinent.<ref name=GR/> 
|-
| Behind Every Great One 
| 23 August 2018 
| A narrative-based management game in which the player is Victorine, a housewife living with her husband, an artist. Victorine has a limited time each day to undertake household chores, who is increasingly frustrated and reproached by her husband on her failure to complete all of the tasks on time.<ref name=MS/> 
|-
| Eternal Home Floristry
| 4 December 2018 
| 
|-
| The Bookshelf Limbo 
| 20 February 2020
| An [[interactive fiction]] game in which the player browses a shelf in a bookstore to find a book to gift their father. Players select books on the shelf and can browse the synopsis and quotes on the back, and check online reviews.<ref>((cite web|website=Rock Paper Shotgun|title=The Bookshelf Limbo asks more than "what kind of comic would your dad like?"|last=Clayton|first=Natalie|date=23 February 2020|accessdate=9 April 2024|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-bookshelf-limbo-asks-more-than-what-kind-of-comic-would-your-dad-like))</ref> As the player character considers their options, they wrestle with their own doubts on the meaning and impact of their gift based on the books selected, revealing personal insights on the character's relationship with their father.<ref>((cite web|website=The Verge|title=The Bookshelf Limbo gamifies the decision paralysis of gift-giving|date=16 March 2020|accessdate=9 April 2024|last=Moore|first=D.M.|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/15/21178287/bookshelf-limbo-review-comic-book-gift-giving-itch-io))</ref>
|-
| Zen and the Art of Transhumanism
| 2016 
| Described as a "cyberpunk pottery game",<ref>((cite web|website=Essays on Empathy|date=2021|author=Deconstructeam|title=Zen and the Art of Transhumanism|accessdate=7 April 2024|url=https://essaysonempathy.com/zen-and-the-art-of-transhumanism))</ref> players operate a [[transhumanism|transhumanist]] workshop and operate a [[lathe]] and tools to sculpt body implants that enhance human traits. Gameplay consists of players taking orders from clients presenting with a personal problem, selecting databank modules that reflect the shape of the desired implant, and using the tools to shape it into the form required.<ref>((cite web|website=Vice|title=Become a Cyberpunk Artist in 'Zen and the Art of Transhumanism'|last=Hawkins|first=Janine|date=20 December 2016|accessdate=7 April 2024|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/4xw5zq/become-a-cyberpunk-artist-in-zen-and-the-art-of-transhumanism))</ref><ref>((cite web|website=Rock Paper Shotgun|last=Caldwell|first=Brendan|date=14 May 2016|accessdate=7 April 2024|title=Free Loaders: Not Safe For Work Or Your Mum's House|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/best-free-games-of-the-week-19))</ref> Players are given decisions to make on which implants best resolve the personal problems presented by the client.<ref>((cite web|website=Rock Paper Shotgun|last=Caldwell|first=Brendan|date=15 June 2016|accessdate=7 April 2024|title=Free - 3 More Games to Keep You Going|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/free-3-more-games-to-keep-you-going))</ref>
|-
| Engolasters January 2021 
| 1 August 2017 
| An exploration-based mystery game in which players assume the role of Meritxell, a paranormal researcher attempting to prove the existence of extraterrestrials.<ref name=MS/> 
|-
| 11:45 A Vivid Life 
| 25 October 2018 
| A narrative horror game in which the player character, Laynie, believes her skeleton does not belong to her and undertakes an operation to remove foreign objects from her body.<ref name=MS/> Players operate an [[x-ray machine]] to identify foreign bodies and can remove the objects from her body at a picnic basket.<ref>((cite web|website=TechRaptor|last=Bower|first=Amanda|date=14 November 2018|accessdate=9 April 2024|url=https://techraptor.net/originals/odd-and-indiescribable-1145-vivid-life|title=The Odd and the Indiescribable - 11:45 A Vivid Life))</ref> The player has multiple choice options in dialogue to react to the findings, each influencing the end conclusion the character makes about her body.<ref>((cite web|website=Rock Paper Shotgun|last=Castello|first=Jay|date=6 January 2019|accessdate=9 April 2024|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/1145-a-vivid-life-is-an-intense-game-of-body-archaeology|title=11:45: A Vivid Life is an intense game of body archaeology
))</ref> 
|-
| Dear Substance of Kin 
| 30 April 2019 
|
|-
| De Tres Al Cuarto
| N/A 
| The player is Garza, half of a double act with his comedic and romantic partner Bonachera who are making ends meet performing [[stand-up comedy]] shows [[Mallorca]]. Players alternate across several days of  performing comedy sets and selecting activities to spend the night after the show. During comedy sets of the game, players, draw, select and play cards representing the delivery of the duo's performance in a manner similar to a [[deck-building game]]. Cards have different effects on money earned by the player, such as a successful joke being delivered with a 'Poor' or 'Punch' card, or a 'Build' card that increases the value of the joke and provides the player with a new hand. Money earned by the player in a comedy set can be used to remove, upgrade or purchase new cards.<ref name=PCGUK/> 
|}

== Development ==

''Essays on Empathy'' was developed by [[Valencia]] studio [[Deconstructeam]], a trio of writer and designer Jordi de Paco, artist Marina González and musician Paula Ruiz.<ref name=GH/><ref name=SR>((cite web|website=Screen Rant|title=Deconstructeam Interview: Jordi de Paco & Marina González on Essays on Empathy|last=Faierman|first=Leo|date=4 May 2021|accessdate=7 April 2024|url=https://screenrant.com/deconstructeam-interview-jordi-de-paco-marina-gonzalez/))</ref><ref name=V2/> The compilation, containing titles developed between 2015 and 2021, had the stated aim of giving the studio's short games a wider audience, as they had received less attention.<ref name=V2/> The compilation was assembled as a side project and "therapeutic" exercise during a creative hiatus for the studio, who had paused work on a larger title, ''[[The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood]]'' due to the impacts of the [[coronavirus pandemic]] in 2020, which had a negative psychological impact on the developers.<ref name=V2/><ref name=TG2>((cite web|website=TheGamer|title=Interview: Deconstructeam On Finding Hope With Essays On Empathy|last=King|first=Jade|date=29 April 2021|accessdate=7 April 2024|url=https://www.thegamer.com/interview-deconstructeam-on-finding-hope-with-essays-on-empathy/))</ref> The title of the compilation was set to reflect the "different characters" depicted in the various games and the overarching design process of the studio, with de Paco discussing that the team began purposefully developing games with a "heavy" narrative focus over time to explore complex situations or questions that require the player to "put themselves into the game".<ref name=TG2/><ref name=SR/> Most of the games for ''Essays on Empathy'' were previously developed and released for short-term [[game jams]] including the [[Ludum Dare]],<ref name=EG/> with the games largely presented as they were originally released in terms of content.<ref name=SR/> The compilation was announced on 30 April 2021 with the release of an announcement trailer for release on May 18.<ref>((cite web|website=PC Gamer|title=Here come 10 short stories from the makers of The Red Strings Club|last=Clayton|first=Natalie|date=30 April 2021|accessdate=7 April 2024|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/here-come-ten-short-stories-from-the-makers-of-the-red-strings-club/))</ref><ref name=V2>((cite web|website=Vandal|language=ES|title=Deconstructeam: 'Essays on Empathy' and creativity in times of pandemic|last=Matas|first=Fran G.|date=4 May 2021|accessdate=7 April 2024|url=https://vandal.elespanol.com/reportaje/deconstructeam-essays-on-empathy-y-la-creatividad-en-tiempos-de-pandemia))</ref><ref>((cite web|website=IGN|title=Essays On Empathy - Announcement Trailer|date=30 April 2021|accessdate=7 April 2024|url=https://www.ign.com/videos/essays-on-empathy-announcement-trailer))</ref>

== Reception ==

((Video game reviews

| MC = 80/100<ref name=MC>((cite web|website=Metacritic|title=Essays on Empathy|accessdate=7 April 2024|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/essays-on-empathy/))</ref>

| EuroG = 6/10<ref name=EG>((cite web|website=Eurogamer|language=ES|title=Essays on Empathy - review|last=Netti|first=Stefania|date=19 May 2021|url=https://www.eurogamer.it/essays-on-empathy-recensione))</ref>

| rev1 = ''Checkpoint Gaming''
| rev1Score = 9/10<ref name=CG>((cite web|website=Checkpoint Gaming|title=Essays on Empathy Review – A movement in the making|date=19 May 2021|accessdate=6 April 2024|url=https://checkpointgaming.net/reviews/2021/05/essays-on-empathy-review-a-movement-in-the-making/))</ref>

| rev2 = ''Digitally Downloaded''
| rev2Score = 5/5<ref name=DD>((cite web|website=Digitally Downloaded|title=Review: Essays on Empathy (PC)|last=Liu|first=Harvard|date=19 May 2021 |accessdate=7 April 2024|url=https://www.digitallydownloaded.net/2021/05/review-essays-on-empathy-pc.html))</ref>

| rev3 = ''[[Game Rant]]''
| rev3Score = 3.5/5<ref name=GR>((cite web|website=Game Rant|last=Delgreco|first=Marina|date=18 May 2021|title=Essays on Empathy Review|accessdate=7 April 2024|url=https://gamerant.com/essays-on-empathy-review-game/))</ref>

| rev4 = ''GamesHub'' 
| rev4Score = 5/5<ref name=GH>((cite web|website=GamesHub|last=Maxwell|first=Jini|title=Review: Essays on Empathy reminded me of the importance of creative community|date=2 June 2021|accessdate=7 April 2024|url=https://www.gameshub.com/news/reviews/game-review-essays-on-empathy-reminded-me-of-the-importance-of-creative-community-262674-2120/))</ref>

| rev5 = ''Meristation''
| rev5Score = 8/10<ref name=MS>((cite web|website=Meristation|title=Essays on Empathy, analysis|date=7 June 2021|last=Luna|first=Laura|accessdate=7 April 2024|url=https://as.com/meristation/2021/06/06/analisis/1622966284_900843.html))</ref>

| rev6 = ''Vandal''
| rev6Score = 8/10<ref name=V>((cite web|website=Vandal|language=ES|title=Essays on Empathy|last=Delgado|first=Manu|date=20 May 2021|accessdate=7 April 2024|url=https://vandal.elespanol.com/analisis/pc/essays-on-empathy/100017#p-13))</ref>

))

''Essays on Empathy'' received "generally favorable" reviews upon release, according to [[review aggregator]] [[Metacritic]].<ref name=MC/> Critics generally praised the narrative and themes of the various games in the compilation. Laura Luna of ''MeriStation'' considered the narrative design to be the "strong point" of the game in its sensitive and natural treatment of "social and intimate themes", considering them to explore diverse perspectives from "an enriching and authentic perspective".<ref name=MS/> Harvard Liu of ''Digitally Downloaded'' discussed the compilation's games to each explore a narrative of "coping" and balance a tone of humor and poignancy.<ref name=DD/> Marina Delgreco of ''Game Rant'' considered the games to be "poignant" and also confronting due to the "heavy subject matter", providing players with a chance to "step into the shoes of people different from them and understand them a bit better than before".<ref name=GR/> ''Eurogamer'' found the games to explore "terribly real" themes in a "raw and truthful" manner, although finding the concepts were not fully matured due to the short length and development periods of the individual titles.<ref name=EG/> Similarly, many critics acknowledged that the games, developed during game jams, were limited in their scope as short experiences,<ref name=CG/><ref name=V/><ref name=MS/> with Amy Campbell of ''The Escapist'' considering the games to improve in the order of chronological release and some to be "a tad too simple".<ref>((cite web|website=The Escapist|title=Essays on Empathy Is a One-of-a-Kind Collection of Creative Games – Review in 3 Minutes|last=Campbell|first=Amy|date=21 May 2021|accessdate=7 April 2024|url=https://www.escapistmagazine.com/essays-on-empathy-is-a-one-of-a-kind-collection-of-creative-games-review-in-3-minutes/))</ref>

''De Tres Al Cuarto'' received specific praise as a standalone release and highlight of the compilation. Describing the game as a "fresh, original interactive story", ''PC Gamer UK'' commended the game's "mature" depiction of an established gay relationship and its "vividly drawn" and "believable" characters. However, the magazine also found the comedy sections to be less effective due to the sound design and poor distinction between the successful and unsuccessful jokes.<ref name=PCGUK>((cite magazine|magazine=PC Gamer UK|date=November 2022|title=Gig Economy|pages=88|issue=375))</ref> Harvard Liu of ''Digitally Downloaded'' considered the deckbuilding mechanic to effectively "communicate aspiration rather than strategy", with the game's diminishing returns on its strategy mechanics over time conveying deeper "questions of value and self-worth".<ref name=DD/> Laura Luna of ''MeriStation'' assessed that ''De Tres Al Cuarto'' was the "most refined" work of the compilation, describing the game's depiction of the couple's intimate moments as a "very human" romantic dilemma.<ref name=MS/> Manu Delgado of ''Vandal'' wrote that the game demonstrated the "mastery" of the studio in "giving life to unique characters interacting in credible situations narrated from the familiarity of more or less everyday scenes".<ref name=V/>

The game's behind-the-scenes additions were also generally praised. Harvard Liu of ''Digitally Downloaded'' found the collection "shines a light on craft and deepens the connection between player and developer".<ref name=DD/> Laura Luna of ''MeriStation'' stated that the features providing "interesting" context for the player to understand "certain artistic decisions and the reason for experimenting with certain mechanics".<ref name=MS/> Manu Delgado of ''Vandal'' strongly praised the content as demonstrating "unusual" levels of "honesty" and "transparency" in the studio's creative approach "rarely seen" in documentaries about video games. However, Delgado also considered the presentation of the features to lack accessibility due to the "poorly readable" menu text and lack of playback controls on videos.<ref name=V/>

Several reviewers identified that the game had bugs and quality of life issues due to the games being presented in the state they were at upon release. ''Checkpoint Gaming'' noted that all games lacked menus, save states and pause functions, although considered these issues to be of "little consequence" and assisted in making players to commit to the gameplay experience.<ref name=CG/> Harvard Liu of ''Digitally Downloaded'' speculated the game's technical issues reflected their packaging "exactly as they were at the end of their respective game jams, with [[user interface|UI quirks]] and typos left in".<ref name=DD/> Non-English sources also lamented the game did not include [[language localisation|localistation]].<ref name=EG/><ref name=MS/>

== References ==
((Reflist))

== External links ==
* ((Official website|https://essaysonempathy.com/))

[[Category:2021 video games]]
[[Category:Deconstructeam games]]
[[Category:Devolver Digital games]]
[[Category:Indie games]]
[[Category:Point-and-click adventure games]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:Video game compilations]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Spain]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Windows-only games]]

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