Dissolved: Chapter One

Dissolved: Chapter One is a collection of nine mini-game types linked by the story of Padla, a girl whose psychosis turns painful experiences into video games. The challenges parody old arcade games, with simple control schemes that often use one or two buttons. Some can be played competitively by two players or in endless mode for high scores.

Padla’s imagined challenges

Each level reflects something Padla would rather avoid, including a never-ending school day, playing at a concert, and dealing with her alcohol and drug consumption. Her imagined ordeals take forms such as a spooky rhythm game, a coma-induced shoot-'em-up, a violent sports game against classmates, and a deadly step-by-step runner in which she walks her cat. In a classroom stealth game, you try to make Padla the most popular girl without being spotted by the teacher.

The challenges include fighting space gopniks by striking their projectiles back at them, and using dead cops as projectiles when Padla is unarmed. The tone combines dark, disturbing situations with offbeat humor.

Between challenges

After each game, reality catches up with Padla. To progress, you interact with newly appeared objects in the rooms of her monotonous life to find the next challenge. Her dark alter ego sometimes appears in her visions; its origins and intentions remain mysterious, though it has a role in Padla’s descent into madness.