Bundle of Joy

Bundle of Joy is a short minigame romp with narrative vignettes about parenthood, self-doubt and self-care. Set in the spring of 2020, it follows a new father through five chaotic days of child-rearing challenges and rising stress. The story draws on studio lead Nicholas O’Brien’s personal experience.

Caring for the baby

You take on more than 15 possible minigame challenges, including changing a diaper, clipping the baby’s nails and cleaning up the highchair. Each task adds stress, and your parenting skill affects whether you become overwhelmed. A randomly assigned condition starts each day, and you journal your progress as you try to avoid reaching a breaking point.

Failing a minigame because of stress does not mean you lose; it is part of the experience. The minigames also feature animations of squirming bottoms and stuffy noses.

Time to reconnect

As each day goes on, you get downtime to reconnect with yourself and your partner. These moments let you reduce stress and explore feelings of doubt, guilt, isolation and obligation. Reaching a breaking point can be avoided, with stress-relieving rewards along the way.