Cracks Where the
Light Gets In

Cracks Where the Light Gets In is a narrative game where you observe the day-to-day lives of different people and find your assumptions being subverted. As you watch a refugee family from hidden viewpoints, you piece together the stories of their lives and gain a new understanding of the events that led them there. The careful observation from a limited perspective that also lets you piece together the wider story results in a unique window into the human condition.

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It's loosely inspired by the part of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein where the Creature observes a poor family, gradually changing his perception of humankind as he witnesses their lives. You play a character in need of refuge, who finds a safe place already occupied by refugees. Initially, you are suspicious but as you piece together their stories your perception slowly changes.

Play involves looking in on different people around a building from hidden vantage points, such as under stairs or through cracks in walls, moving your perspective to get a complete picture of what's going on. Throughout the day, people get on with their routines and objects are moved around, often uncovering hidden context. You progress by filling in missing words in paragraphs about each character, using your observations to inform your choices.

The result is a game that offers a unique observational puzzle wrapped up in a narrative about prejudice and overcoming your own biases. Slowly piecing together the story of each of the characters you observe requires patient observation and introspective thought, slowly revealing new layers and content in a satisfying and emotionally resonant way.

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Our examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked Cracks Where the Light Gets In 8 weeks ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 7 weeks ago.