Doom-Pop Outfit Som Release a Delightful Video Game
We’ve been singing the praises of so-called doom-pop outfit Som in this space for months, so hopefully by now you’re familiar with the band’s latest EP, Awake (if not: do so ASAP here!).
It’s always fun to see bands extend themselves creatively, and that’s what Som have done with a new video game they’ve unveiled. This delightful little game will provide you with a solid distraction for a half hour at most, so it’s not something you’ll need to get deeply invested in, just a fun activity to pass the time as you become more ensconced in the band’s music. The game is set in a retro-looking 3D world and requires you to solve mini-puzzles and collect crystals, one for each band member, to unite the Som and send them off into the ether.
Explains the band of the game:
“This game is 100% inspired by the current state of the world. We leaned into the question, ‘what is something that we’re all longing for but cannot achieve in waking life right now?’ The answer was clear and simple: ‘to be together.’ So we tapped our mad scientist super-genius friend Ryan Sciaino — who does live visuals for tons of artists including Porter Robinson, A-Trak, and Anamanaguchi — to create a modest virtual realm where the player can not only explore and discover our music, but also reunite us, the members of SOM. We hope people have fun bringing us together.”
Game designer Ryan Sciaino (Ghostdad) explains:
“Game design is something I’ve always flirted with while creating visuals for live shows, and Unity in particular is a handy tool I use for throwing ideas around in 3D space. With shows on hold this past year I’ve dug in a little deeper creating WebGL games as immersive music video like experiences. This practice has opened up the type of artists I’ve been able to work with and I was stoked with Duncan and the band reached out with the idea for a game. I hadn’t thought about heavy music in a video game that wasn’t an action or shooting game, but this EP totally makes sense in this sparse walking simulator like context. Will sent over some audio that sets the tone of the retro game landscape, but as soon as you collect play the first song it starts to become a real journey. You can find more of my project here as well: https://ghostdad.world/”
It’s fun, we promise! Play the game here or in the embed below.
