ROCHE LIMIT: The Death of CMK is a dark, surreal interactive storytelling game made entirely on PowerPoint. The gameplay mechanic is similar to most point-and-click storytelling games, the only difference is the game was made entirely on PowerPoint and runs only on PowerPoint. ROCHE LIMIT: The Death of CMK was developed by Jack Strait who has a background in architecture, where his experience contributed to the unique and innovative aesthetics of the game. ROCHE LIMIT: The Death of CMK is not just a game — it is a thought-provoking and unsettling experience that confronts players with the unknowns.
The game starts with you customizing your character – either with bunny ears, “useless” stilts or more, with contradictory uplifting music given that the game is supposed to be a horror game as initially anticipated. Once you are done with customization, the game brings you to a scene with a strange, dark road that leads to a somewhat endless path as you hear the crows calling in the surroundings. And here, Stage 1 begins.
As you move along with the game, you will find a torn down page with riddles or poems which I believe is the hint to the story of the game. Once you exit the “reading” scene, you will find a game character standing far ahead calling out to you. At this point, I found it strange as to why the game made the player ask: “Wait, are you real?”. I was anticipating encountering some sort of jump scares but instead, the character started walking towards me. As the character moves, I noticed the graphics in the game absolutely stunning. Rather than overwhelming players with unnecessary details, the game’s graphics skillfully blend each geometry piece with distinct colour palettes, producing a clean design that is both calming and unsettling. When the character walks towards me, his body movements and features such as face structures, wrinkles on the shirt and silhouette, are extremely realistic, which in my opinion adds to the eeriness of the scene. I am really amazed by the amount of work and attention to detail given to the game’s graphics and I would say the aesthetics successfully echo the lonely, eerie mystery in the game.
A scene in the game showing an example of the graphics.
I do not want to spoil the plot further until you try the game yourself, but I would like to explore the meaning behind the game.
Something I find particularly intriguing is the title of the game – Roche Limit. Interestingly, Roche limit, also known as Roche radius, is a scientific term in astronomy that refers to the minimum distance at which a smaller celestial body can orbit another larger celestial body without being torn apart by tidal forces. Within this limit (or in other words, when the distance between two bodies is smaller than the Roche limit), the gravitational pull of the larger celestial body exceeds the smaller celestial body’s self-gravity that holds itself together, hence the smaller celestial body will disintegrate into smaller fragments that may form rings of fragments around the larger celestial body (Deeks, 2024). For instance, if today the Moon’s distance from Earth is smaller than the Roche limit, we may be seeing fragments of the Moon orbiting the Earth instead of the Moon in a sphere, similar to Saturn’s rings.
A scene in the game illustrating a ring of fragments of a smaller celestial body formed around a larger celestial body and another smaller celestial body staying in its own shape, within the Roche limit.
In addition, later in the game, I encountered a humanoid figure that said:
“It was very kind of you to help homething out. I see you grabbed for him the “figurine”. I will make sure he receives this before you perish. You see, all along you’ve feared the end. Yet this is something you’ve always been able to control. It’s like fighting the urge to fall asleep. What’s really to be feared is the beginning. How can you control what life you’re born into? But alas, you’ve crossed this threshold already. You faced the greatest horror and walked out victorious. So march forth to your death with no fear. And design your demise as though it were a beautiful work of art. Do not be afraid, it will feel like going home.” (Jack Strait, 2022)
Although the true meaning of the game is not explained by Jack Strait, after thinking through the scenes and conversations encountered in the game, at least to me, I can’t help but to think the game is using Roche limit as a metaphor to represent the dark, shady realities happening in people’s lives. For instance, if I were to look at this metaphor from the perspective of a toxic or dysfunctional family, “Homething” may represent the family, “Him” may represent the toxic figure(s) in the family, and I see “figurine” as a part of the victim(s) in the family for example the victim’s self-esteem, compassion, empathy, hope, love, etc. It is not uncommon that adult children of emotionally immature or toxic parent(s) grew up parenting their own parent(s) or sacrificing themselves by giving away a part of them — the “figurine”. Roche limit is a metaphor that is both liberating and devastating in the sense that some adult children may be able to navigate themselves from the gravitational pull of “Him”, hence avoiding being pulled apart; but some may not be able to. I also find this metaphor fascinating yet terrifying as it may be applicable to other bigger affairs happening in society and the world right now.
A scene in the game showing the conversation with the mystery humanoid figure.
Undoubtedly, the game excels in many ways and areas, particularly its ability to blend narrative and atmosphere seamlessly. The minimalist aesthetic also makes exploration during the gameplay frightening yet intriguing. However, some players may find the gameplay frustrating as the game relies heavily on players’ sense of exploration and experimentation, which may not be appealing to those who prefer a more guided gameplay experience. While the relatively abstract story leaves a certain plot unresolved, possessing as a major strength of the game as it encourages players to figure out the meaning of the game, some may find it unsatisfying.
Overall, ROCHE LIMIT: The Death of CMK is an indie development that deserves more attention for its innovative use of PowerPoint as a game development medium, showcasing the unlimited boundaries of creativity. This is also a game that asks players to observe, experiment, and draw their own conclusions. For those willing to explore its mysteries, ROCHE LIMIT: The Death of CMK offers a deep and memorable journey through the uncertainties. What do you think the game is trying to convey?
Game Info
Publisher: Jack Strait
Developer: Jack Strait
Platforms: Microsoft PowerPoint
Release Date: 8th December 2022
Genres: Horror, Surreal, Cataclysmic, Indie
PEGI 18
Pictures:
Feature image and other images are screenshots from ROCHE LIMIT: The Death of CMK (Jack Strait, 2022), taken by the author
https://www.youtube.com/@Jack.Strait/videos
Additional Reference:
Deeks, R. (2024, March 23). Roche limit explained. BBC Sky at Night. https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/roche-limit
Game Studies student with a background in Psychology. Passionate about deep games, social impact, mental health and wellbeing. Also enjoy crocheting while listening to heavy music.
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