And it was all mine…
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4 Minutes and 33 Seconds of Uniqueness by Kloonigames is an experimental art game that explores the definition of what constitutes a game.
It’s simple. Download then run the game. If no one else in the world begins playing the game during the next 4 minutes and 33 seconds, you win! If someone does begin playing, the game shuts down and you have to start your 4 minutes and 33 seconds all over again.
What does it look like? Are there sweet graphics? It starts off as an entirely black screen, and as time passes, a white bar slowly fills it from left to right. The game is a progress bar.
But wait, there is more. One of the creators has just recently put together a very appropriate addition to his game. A Google Maps visualization of the current player playing the game – where they’re located and how long they’ve been playing for. Brilliant!
So you don’t actually do anything for those 273 seconds… Well, except wait anxiously – readying yourself for an abrupt and silent shut down. Who am I kidding? It’s nerve wrecking! It may sound brain-dead boring but it’s quite compelling, and addictive – or perhaps I’m just a masochist?
But is this really a game? Some believe it isn’t, exclaiming that, “… there’s no actual game-play… You have one action (‘load the game,’) and then success or failure is determined, essentially, by chance.” but I disagree. The decision of when and how often to run the game can be quite complex. Especially if you’re into griefing other players. The game extends the play session to encompass loading the game itself. It’s not usual, but it’s perfectly legitimate.
Is it an experimental art game? Well, it has definitely ignited many fervent discussions since its release, so it has achieved its purpose. I believe it’s as a dead simple massive multiplayer game in the purest sense.
4 Minutes and 33 Seconds of Uniqueness was created for the Nordic Game Jam for the theme, “As long as we have each other, we’ll never run out of problems”. I couldn’t think of a more appropriate game for such an interesting theme.
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The following screenshots are of my last and final playthrough, of which occurred a few weeks ago. I can’t recall how long I played this game for (reload, reload, reload – time into black hole) but I finally completed it. I count myself lucky as the more popular this game gets, the harder it will be to complete.
I’ve linked off the ending just in case you’re curious and/or at the brink of committing suicide from extreme frustration. Enjoy ;)
