Decomposure

Decomposure is a unique apocalyptic organization game where players must navigate their survival within a confined, industrial room, relying on object-based text prompts to learn about their world. As apocalyptic events unfold, players face the dilemma of deciding which items to preserve and which to sacrifice. The game’s narrative is revealed through the exploration of the room and its objects, with large-scale disasters manifesting subtly through effects like window flashes, sounds, and camera shakes. This design choice emphasizes the gradual erosion of normalcy and highlights how trauma often accumulates through small, persistent disruptions rather than a single cataclysmic event. The game fosters a feeling of isolation and disconnect from the outside world, subverting the typical survival-focused narrative of apocalyptic games by centering around seemingly trivial personal items and their narratives.

Decomposure blends elements from cozy games, management games, and apocalyptic media but diverges significantly in its emphasis on the lack of control. While cozy games offer comfort and routine tasks, and management games require strategic planning, Decomposure introduces risk and loss, with disasters continuously knocking objects off shelves and breaking them. The typewriter is a key mechanic, serving as the primary narrative device in a world where control is illusory. Players can organize objects, yet the game frequently disrupts these arrangements, challenging their sense of agency. The design creates a poignant tension between the player’s actions and the game’s uncontrollable events, ultimately reflecting on the broader themes of control, importance, and personal narrative within an apocalyptic context.