Before it Fades

Before It Fades is a narrative-driven interactive game that won first place in the Atlanta regional site of the 2026 Global Game Jam. The game explores memory, love, loss, and the struggle to hold on to what is fading. Players take the role of an elderly man revisiting fragments of his life with his deceased wife through old photographs. By wiping away dust and uncovering hidden images, they gradually reveal moments from their shared past and piece together the truth behind their final days. Rather than relying on direct exposition, the project uses symbolic interaction, environmental storytelling, and emotional progression to unfold its narrative. A central garden system, where lavender can be planted, cared for, or lost, reflects the protagonist’s inner state and shapes multiple endings. Through repeated acts of cleaning, tending, remembering, and letting go, the game asks whether love is defined by preserving someone, releasing them, or simply refusing to let them fade.