Purism.

Bientôt l’été will probably end up being one of the “purest” videogames I made. Pure in the sense of trying hard to approach what I feel is right, fine-tuning the expression so it matches what I have in mind as closely as possible. And what I have in mind is intensely personal. So personal that I don’t expect many people to enjoy it like I do.

That is where purism leads: away from an audience. I’m essentially making a game for myself. And after Bientôt l’été, I think I’ll be ready for something else.

Because the deeper I go, the more acutely I become aware that in the deepest depths, there is nothing. That is also where purism leads. You keep chiseling away the unnecessary parts, there’s always something that seems wrong, and in the end, nothing is left.

This purism may be the way to arrive at the best possible art. And in my mind this means that it can only be enjoyed deeply by a small group of people. I don’t think this sort of elitism is a problem in and of itself. It’s just not something I want to be involved in all the time.

I will continue the production of Bientôt l’été along its current course. But I don’t think the next project I’ll be working on will be quite as purist. It’s interesting to dig this hole and enjoy the quiet and the concentration. But after this, I’ll be happy to crawl out and engage with simpler pleasures that are more easily shared.