Start Running

Start Running is part visual novel, part escape room and part Greek tragedy. Luis, a procrastination-prone runner, is preparing for his first marathon. On the day of his final training run, he struggles to start the 20-mile route, then strange events push him forward and force his choices. His dog, Pistachio, is with him as they try to escape a world that bends away from reality.

A shifting city

Buildings move, doors refuse to cooperate and the city reshapes around Luis and Pistachio. You explore this surreal setting and solve puzzles to uncover layers that help you confront whatever is causing the changes.

Puzzles and choices

Point-and-click puzzles use an inventory and movement system. Their ideas draw on ordinary things such as phone combinations and printer jams, but nothing is quite as it seems. Choices range from stopping to look at running medals in Luis’s apartment to sending a mother toward a possible violent death; they affect the many deaths and endings.

Story and features

The game contains over 40,000 words and features Pistachio, Luis’s dog.