Oscar looks like a pretty, quirky, indie platformer, but according to Vancouver-based developer Team Sharkeye, there's a lot more going on.
The game stars a girl who interprets real life problems through a fantasy adventure. She faces issues like bullying and parental stress, but the people in her life are oblivious to her problems. "Oscar is about what happens when we can't express what's wrong or when no one listens," according to the game's website. "It becomes better to mask our problems, both to other people and ourselves."
Oscar is being made by Joshua Long, formerly multiplayer designer at Relic. He is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, with a Windows PC, Mac, Linux and iOS release planned for later this year.
Long said that it is an attempt to make a game that addresses real life problems. "Oscar represents human experiences," he told Polygon. "I think a lot of people in the generation that grew up playing games as entertainment are looking for something that makes a connection with our lives, which are complex."
