The 45 Minutes I Never Thought I Need
Florence teaches us about adulting.
Published by Annapurna Interactive in 2018, Florence is an interactive narrative game about a 25 years old girl named…well, Florence. She’s an Asian who has a long-buried passion for making art as she grew up, yet works as an accountant.
A Splash of Color on The Grey World
The story begins when Florence starts her day. It shows her routines which are coloured with greys. It was a usual morning when she woke up, brushed her teeth, and ate breakfast. Commuting to work, the girl opens up her social media and then swaps and likes her friend’s posts. The day to day job doesn’t look fun either, where she deals with numbers, avoiding any mistakes. Later that afternoon, she got a phone call from her mother, questioning life and love.
“Don’t worry about me,” I could hear her answer monotonously.
Her passion for art sprung to the surface when she cleaned her place. A box full of her art & craft projects fell onto the floor, which was made back when she was 7 years old. She remembered how fun it was until her mother asked her to keep studying. The fun, happy things she had is no longer as she reaches 25 years old working adult.
The grey daily life started to change when she was outside the home. Her phone’s battery ran out, and she needed to put off her earphone. Then, some beautiful melody catches her ears. As she follows, it lifts her mood and brightens her day. She watches a cello player in awe…and falls in love.
The cello guy, Krish, luckily has a mutual interest. Talking to Florence was easy. Every sentence clicks, and it’s not that long until love blooms. Their relationship is sweet, where the couple venture and supports each other. While Florence encouraged Krish to enrol in a music academy, Krish gave her an art set to pursue her long-buried passion.
Sadly, not everything is meant to last. When every hello has its good-bye, and melodious songs become sour, the world went monochrome once again. Their comfortable routines bring out the worst of them. Frictions ignite, and talking cannot solve the problem any longer. Moreover, ending the relationship is the only way to make things better again. Still, she needs time to let go.
Florence moves on when she takes out the art kit and starts painting again. Time passes by; minutes to hours, hours to days, days to months. She put her work online until one day, someone buys them. It reassured her to resign from her old job and focus as an artist.
While she packs up her workspace, she sees her photo with Krish, which she kept and brings it home. As she continued making art and engaging in communities, Florence finally created a solo exhibition with support from her mother. The show is one of the significant steps of her new career, which leads her to a happy end.
Simple, Relaxing, and Heartwarming
Florence has six chapters of the story that we could finish in one sitting (I finished the gameplay in less than one hour). The game also has simple mechanics where all we need to do is point and click.
Although the game doesn’t provide many texts, we could still enjoy and be immersed in its story through the beautiful, communicative visuals. Not to mention the music, which builds the mood in every scene and chapter. It synchronizes nicely; it can touch your deepest soul.
Indeed, Florence is a gem.
Florence Gives Us Hope
Playing this game in the late 20s relates to me on so many levels. We might attend to a 9–5 job; or a position that we aren’t pleased about. But, what kept us going was the paycheck or thought that said, “You are only good at this; nothing else.” And, opening a new page is scary as hell. We forget things that we love due to our routines. But then, we’re stuck.
After playing Florence, I might hear something knocking my heart asking, “Hey, remember things you loved when you were small? How are they?”
I might not change my career like Florence did, but at least there is something that I could hold into to keep myself happy. Also, finding happiness is not as easy as opening social media and loving all the photos; we might need time and effort.
I also love the gesture where Florence kept Krish photo after they broke up. I thought she preserved it as a memento that would remind her that he impacted her current state even though their relationship went south.
All and all, Florence is a game that will warm your heart and soul.
Play Florence in Android, iOs, Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Nintendo Switch!
