Omori: Coping Strategies for Kids

Disclaimer: Omori is NOT a game for small children.

Have you ever gotten lost in your own head? Ever made a terrible mistake and retreated inside your thoughts, where only you can hurt you? Have you ever thought, "Maybe I should just stay away from people forever?"

When I was a kid, when other kids were mean to me, I'd make rude gestures at them that I'd seen on TV, not knowing what they meant. One boy, we'll call him Andrew, seemed to always know what those gestures meant, and threatened to tell the teachers what I'd done. I would then panic and spend the whole day trying to explain to Andrew that I didn't actually know what I'd done wrong, and begged him not to say anything. He never did, of course, because he was just trying to upset me. In hindsight, I should have just gone to the teacher and confessed what I'd done, and the reason I'd done it. Better to bring him down with me on my terms. But children don't possess that kind of long form thought. They did something bad, and they want to make sure they don't get in trouble for it, because the fear of getting punished is scarier than the truth. 

Omori is a game developed by Omocat, an internet artist I know mostly because of their zelda-themed comics. Omori is a JRPG at its core. You explore the world around you, collect items and meet different characters, who usually all have a story to tell, all on your journey to the end of the game. However, if that was all this game was, I wouldn't be writing this. Omori is also a story about being honest, facing your fears, growing up, and repairing relationships. Like many indie developed games, it's important not to spoil the larger narrative of Omori. I'll do my best to stay surface level with my talking points. 

The title of the game is derived from the Japanese term Hikikomori, or Acute Social Withdrawal. Someone described as a Hikikomori generally suffers from irrational fears and anxieties, to the point where they make every effort to be cut off from the outside world. Note that this is a far extreme to being a shut-in. This type of person may go years without leaving a room or a house, make only absolutely necessary outside calls, and typically relies on someone else to care for them. Bear in mind, all of these symptoms are exclusive with other mental disabilities. A Hikikomori may not suffer from Schizophrenia, Autism, Paranoia, or Bipolar Disorder, but will shut themselves off from the world of their own recognizance.

Omori is a game about a boy named, well, Omori, who is on an adventure with his 3 friends, Aubrey, Hero, and Kel as they try to find their missing 5th friend, Basil. Adventuring the overworld is fairly standard. Travel from one objective to the next, solving puzzles and encounting monsters alike. No Undertale subversions in the combat here. You'll find your progress hindered at times by things that you, as a child, are terribly afraid of. A spider web, because you're scared of spiders, or a wildly tall ladder because of heights. Progressing the story will have you overcome those fears in natural and surprisingly helpful ways. Omori never feels contrived in how it gates the world and connects the story to it.

Combat in Omori is turn based with a crayon picture art style. You only see portraits of your party members, and you select an action for each of them before the turn plays out. The portraits are actually central to the main mechanic of the game, Emotions. During combat, party members and emenies can become afflicted with different emotions, ranging from happy, to sad, to angry. Your current emotion serves a dual function; the stats of that party member will be affected, dealing or taking more damage, for example, and the emotions function on a rock/paper/scissors system of effectiveness. You need to balance each character's emotions with the emotions you may or may not be able to control in the enemy to maximize survival.

It's very difficult to sing the praises of a game without giving away the central conceit of it, but rest assured that Omori is paced just well enough to have you keep asking questions, while still making the truth of the events seem JUST within reach. What this means is that you won't find yourself completely blindsided at any point in the story. There's even an entirely optional path through the game, as well as multiple endings worth seeing. The game's got replay value!

Omori was about a 15 hour long game, for a single playthrough at least. I had a terrific time with it, and it told an emotional story that resonated with me more than I expected.

And be careful of bears.