Satori | 悟り
Black Phoenix Productions · 2025 · Psychological Horror, Singleplayer, Walking Simulator, First-Person, Linear
PC
This game is free to play. Get it on Steam →
Screenshots
About Satori | 悟り
Playing Satori | 悟り, the player loses himself in a dream world to take an inner journey of meditation.The game is based on feelings of sadness and restlessness. These are conveyed through the detailed construction of an iconic world.The gameplay, presented in first-person perspective, features a series of puzzles based on sound effects, space, music, and video. The setting, music, and interaction is made to create a complete and coherent experience, in which the player must find his way around, seeking calm and clarity to find the right path.The story, lyrical and sometimes domestic, is told by pictures and impressions, as much through video, imagery and gameplay. At the same time, the player gets to create his own meditative experience, as the narrative is never intrusive and does not take over immersion.Satori | 悟り can be played in many ways: the thoughtful and reflective player can shape his own interpretive path, investigating his truth and constructing his own meaning. At the same time, the player who cannot clearly find his path can rely on the clues provided by the creators to help him carry out his meditation path.
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Are you ready to begin your journey within?
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
My name is Francesco. When I was about ten years old, my father was bedridden by a chronic illness. This wore down the marriage with my mother, who eventually filed for divorce. So, I remained motionless, watching my father's frustration and my mother's difficulties in rebuilding her life, locking myself in a solitude that I populated with art, literature, movies and especially video games.The exploration of these worlds and their meanings thus stimulated my imagination, which nevertheless always seemed to sketch blurred and imprecise worlds, less clear than a dream. So, I tried to sharpen those images through a path of meditation.I had my first meditation experiences several years ago. Approaching the method of transcendental meditation, I chose the word “satori” as my mantra. At first my choice was guided by a desire to cancel the distance between reality and the world revealed to me during meditative experiences. I used to interpret the idea of enlightenment in this way. But as my meditative path continued, I realised I should have faced my past directly. At this point, my personal life experience became a central point to my meditation, and the world that came out was increasingly dark, lonely and difficult.My name is Matteo. We met when we were about ten years old and shared difficulties and uncertainties, but above all we built together a world of fantasy and art, giving shape to our ghosts.I started studying the literature and the arts that allowed me to delve into the relationship between meaning and its representation. With this approach, I worked on Satori | 悟り, contributing to the development of imagery, graphic design, and the audio compartment. In this development, I tried to express my personal experience and the one shared with Francesco by integrating it with his.
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- The duration of the game is variable, ranging from 30 to 60 min.
- To play this game it's recommended to use headphones or good quality speakers because many of the game's puzzles requires you to listen carefully to the music and game effects.
Are you ready to begin your journey within?
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
My name is Francesco. When I was about ten years old, my father was bedridden by a chronic illness. This wore down the marriage with my mother, who eventually filed for divorce. So, I remained motionless, watching my father's frustration and my mother's difficulties in rebuilding her life, locking myself in a solitude that I populated with art, literature, movies and especially video games.The exploration of these worlds and their meanings thus stimulated my imagination, which nevertheless always seemed to sketch blurred and imprecise worlds, less clear than a dream. So, I tried to sharpen those images through a path of meditation.I had my first meditation experiences several years ago. Approaching the method of transcendental meditation, I chose the word “satori” as my mantra. At first my choice was guided by a desire to cancel the distance between reality and the world revealed to me during meditative experiences. I used to interpret the idea of enlightenment in this way. But as my meditative path continued, I realised I should have faced my past directly. At this point, my personal life experience became a central point to my meditation, and the world that came out was increasingly dark, lonely and difficult.My name is Matteo. We met when we were about ten years old and shared difficulties and uncertainties, but above all we built together a world of fantasy and art, giving shape to our ghosts.I started studying the literature and the arts that allowed me to delve into the relationship between meaning and its representation. With this approach, I worked on Satori | 悟り, contributing to the development of imagery, graphic design, and the audio compartment. In this development, I tried to express my personal experience and the one shared with Francesco by integrating it with his.What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
Short game <30 minutes. Just one of those games you need to play yourself to understand. A little walking simulator with puzzle elements. Gloomy, maybe depressing and gives a sense of loss but honestly, I found it to be quite relaxing... Probably for the same reason - whatever that is - I can sleep like a baby to Silent Hill music. It's like my soul can relate. Anyway, I'll sleep good after playing this.1 found this helpful
The experience was enjoyable but the atmosphere, sound design, and imagery, while very cool, share too much language with more horror-oriented games. I felt anxious the whole time— more fearful than restless and sad. I love red and I love black and I love monochrome paintings and I love the aesthetic, it's a truly beautiful-looking game, but I think the red color worked against the intended emotional experience, at least for me. It felt threatening, and I can see that it's supposed to make you feel restless but I'm not sure paranoia is the intended emotion to come out of it. Except for the ending and that one walk in the sand towards the red sun, I mainly felt frustrated. It was not a meditative experience for me. It will resonate deeply with some people's personal experiences but I imagine that with most everyone else, it will feel like seeing a painting not meant for them, or an inside joke they're not in on: we won't have the correct emotional lens to view this through, and there is very little effort made to give us said lens. Treat it as a piece of art, not a game. Get on its level and patiently enter a conversation with it.1 found this helpful
This game didn't really make sense. It looks like an art student's class project where they think everything has a deep, greater meeting. This game is the equivalent to a banana being duct taped to a wall and called art. If a banana on a wall is art to you, you'll love this game. I found myself using the hint button often. I think I'm too much of a logical thinker to understand this
I'm not sure how to feel about this game, I think I liked it. There's a haunting atmosphere that's present throughout the entire game. I kept anticipating a moment where the game would take a dark turn or where something climatic would happen, but it never came. I have so many questions about this game but I think it's better if i try to work them out myself. I liked the puzzles................
it was nice i dont know what to write just want to boost the game
It's an extremely short meditative experience. It's purposely vague and obscure, but it works. Anything I'd write here would just be a journal entry, as it did make me think about the game while looking through my own hyper subjective lenses. I'll just say it's worth a play for anyone interested in emotional, meditative experiences.
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