Canvas of Thoughts fully unveiled on Steam for Windows PC

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Demo also available for point-and-click edutainment adventure exploring a neurodivergent perspective

Adventure game protagonists come in all shapes and sizes, but by and large, one of the things they all have in common (aside from an insatiable desire to take things that don't belong to them) is that they're neurotypical. There is far less representation for the neurodivergent who see things differently than most. Indie Austrian developer Bandaloop Games is hoping to make a small dent in that disparity with their newly released edutainment adventure, Canvas of Thoughts. 

Evi isn't your normal (whatever that means) 11-year-old girl, as she's autistic and often experiences the world around her as being "too loud, too fast, and hard to understand." Just dealing with usual everyday activities can be a struggle for her that is hard to convey to others. In this game, it's the player's task to help Evi navigate seemingly ordinary challenges that she experiences "through shifting colours, sounds and emotions." As you "solve reflective puzzles and navigate the world not through words, but through feelings," you'll come to better understand her "unique perspective" and "discover how sensory experiences, communication, and emotions can differ from person to person."

Described as a "cozy personal narrative experience," Canvas of Thoughts is a much different game than the developer's previous titles (Noelle, Plaything). Rather than a first-person 3D experience like its predecessors, this game looks and sounds very much like a traditional hand-painted, fully voiced third-person point-and-click adventure. And indeed, as you guide Evi through various familiar places like "a classroom, a playground, a shopping mall, family gatherings, and a doctor’s office," you can click to interact with relevant items and people (though without a smart cursor indicating hotspots), collect and combine inventory, talk to people (however reluctantly), and solve puzzles and minigames that "focus on logic, patterns, observation and self-regulation," like sorting Evi's backpack or planning her weekly schedule. 

Soon, however, you'll come to realize that Evi experiences her "vibrant but loud inner world" much differently than others. Each location "forms a self-contained chapter with its own emotional tone, visual palette, and interactive challenges" that present "emotion-based choices rather than traditional dialogue trees." That means that instead of choosing words in conversation, you'll select from a variety of colour-based mood icons that let you "influence both the protagonist’s inner state and how the world responds, translating emotional experiences into interactive mechanics." There is no right or wrong approach, as "every response is valid, shaping a different path through each chapter." At times, however, no matter what you do the world will start to feel overwhelming, at which point "small interactions like arranging objects, creating patterns, focusing on sounds, or using familiar items become meaningful tools to move forward." You can also pause to return to Evi's room at any point to give yourself a mental breather. The goal of the game is not to focus on "fixing neurodiversity" but rather to "foster empathy, understanding, and curiosity through meaningful gameplay and authentic storytelling," along with "optional educational content" for anyone wishing to learn more.

For those interested in seeing the world through a very different lens than we're used to, the complete version of Canvas of Thoughts is available now on Steam for Windows PC, along with a playable demo to try out first. Those who would like to know more about autism, ADHD, and neurodiversity (with or without the game) are encouraged to check out the developer's helpful list of resources.