Empty.
Everything must go.
“Empty.” is a minimalist zen puzzle game that teaches value of simplicity in life. The goal is to remove all objects by rotating a room.
The game has a novel puzzle mechanic that synergies with the unique stylized look. The flat shading style makes the room contents seamlessly blend with the background, enabling the game mechanic — everything that is no longer visible no longer exists. The player’s goal is to find an angle where objects visually disappear, making the room progressively cleaner and free of clutter.
We have been working on Empty. since the game prototype took the first place at the Ludum Dare 37 competition in December 2016, where it took the first place in “Overall” category (Jam). In its prototype form the game has gained many positive reviews here on itch.io. In fact, the kind of support the game had gained here from the outstanding players and developers community — became the encourage boost for making of the new version.
We have polished the game concept by adding the narrative to each level and the game look improving the shading system.
The game currently has 19 levels, which combined are typically solved in 1—3 hours. Each level starts with a stylish narrative that reminds the player to appreciate simplicity in life — to value the small victories and cherish experiences instead of things. To progress to the next level the player has to solve the previous one. The level difficulty is generally low, making it accessible for all ages.
The original soundtrack was composed to underline the game atmosphere of tranquility and curiosity. The desktop versions have a full soundtrack included. For mobiles and web version, in order to make the files smaller, the OST consists of a bunch of selected tracks from desktop version.
Controls: Pan with mouse or touch.
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A page for the older 2016 version (in case you wondered how it started): http://dustyroom.com/empty-game-ldjam/
Home page for 2020 version: http://dustyroom.com/emptygame/
Also available on
Development log
- Empty. RemadeSep 29, 2020
Comments
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I like this game, but I hate how I find a solution but the game is so tedious it doesn't work
i really liked this game, it was calming but made me think about some things at the same time!:)
I love the prospect of this game, its really cool, but the gameplay gets tedious at times.
the game won't even load
i'm stuck on the paint level. I got the frames and I think I could get the paintbrushes in the easel but it's not doing it. the knife in the yellow also could work but again nothing happening
Guys, I watched a tutorial and I finally figured it out. It's the knife next, but it needs to be in a very specific spot
A lot of art, but the gameplay is tedious.
could anyone help me with the vampire level? i got the black chandelier but nothing else seems to fit.
Nice :D Reminds me of "Vignettes" and "Islands: Non-Places", and also of an old obscure game called "Projective" (https://v3.globalgamejam.org/2014/games/projective).
It says there are 19 levels, but there are currently 24, two of which were added after Icely 4-months-old video, so this game is still being worked on. Perhaps the description should be updated.
I have found a couple bugs. In one early level (8? I forget which), one of the walls became white before anything was absorbed into it, but I couldn't reproduce it. In level 20 (the gardening shed), it is possible to absorb the shears before the lawnmower is gone.
Also, could you please make the game downloadable again?
The game wont finish loading, it sounds great and i wish i could play it, does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do?
Same for me :(
Edit: You can play it here: https://dustyroom.itch.io/empty
I'm stuck on the bike level. the hint is just green which is the color of the light but it doesn't fit in the green spaces.
I'm not sure how the hint system works. It skips the intro phrase, but it seems to do nothing in the levels. The lightbulb always turns green. In any case, you have to start with the houseplant.
So I got past the bike level and am now stuck on the school level. I've already gotten rid of the purple chair, pink desk, light green desk, and orange chair. I was trying to get the blue-ish books to fit above the chalkboard and I can't see them but the game doesn't count it. Figured it out.
What was the solution here?
I had forgotten to get the chalkboard. So do the chalkboard first.
This game is phenomental it almost made me cry
How do I beat the classroom level? There isn't enough space to fit the last half of the objects.
Have you erased the blackboard?
this is where I’m stuck. I can’t make the blue paper plane go, and the green desk won’t go into the blackboard with the plane still on it.
how can i download it?
Hi! The web version is not downloadable at the moment.
ur mom
amazing game!!!
Loved this, such a pleasant and creative experience
How do I make the preachy text disappear?
this game is so good! why didn't i find this WAY earlier? if you're considering this game, you absolutely have to play it! it's amazing!
HOW DO YOU BEAT LEVEL 19???????
do you have to get rid of the black table first? i don't understand the "hints". give me a real hint. i CAN'T FIT THE TABLE INTO THE COLOR!!!
that's a tight fit. TOO tight. YECHHH!!!! i beat the game, HA!
i was trying to fit that black table into the black background for like half an hour at least.
Hey! Glad you were able to solve the level. We'll take a look at the fit.
I’m stuck there on iOS, the black table on level 19, please help I was so close
This game is fun, and the messages between levels were really interesting and nice to read. Great game
Thanks!
gg ez
UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUE IN DETAIL
I'm almost drained of rotating, but felt happy to do the levels until finishes.
So impressed by this game, easy to play and understand a great deal of fun
This reminds me of Superliminal in a way, challenging the player to see the world with a different perspective. Great game.
Just finished it, great game loved it!
It's a creative game that made me really think while turning around. It was surprisingly longer than I thought but while it made me a bit antsy I still had a lot of fun doing the puzzle, it really challenged my brain and made me use my braincells! Though I'm not a minimalist, in fact the opposite-- I appreciate the message and find it ironic how you guys are named DustyRoom yet the game is all about minimalist. Well, thank you for creating such a cool game!
Beautiful game.
loved this game! never seen a game thats like this before, its challenging, but never had me rage or get mad, it was always a simple puzzle, thats what i love about it! the colors and the soundtrack are very soothing as well!
Relaxing! Loved it!
I love the concept and art of this game, is beautiful
Love this game. Have played several times when I need to relax. Will there be updates or an Empty 2?
Thank you for playing and digging Empty.. Not sure if there will be v.2, but we'd really like to do some kind of a continuation to this game.
i beat the game under 4 seconds
Awesome game.. loved how relaxing it is. Very well made. Thank you for sharing.
SUPER INPRESSIVE GAME :)!!
this is those games that get you addicted and wanting a part 2
I really love the game. It is a peaceful experience that I will recommend anyone to have in a chilling afternoon. The only flaw is that the music stops in the middle of the level. Somehow I start loosing motivation and kills the vibe of the game (the music goes really well with the concept). I am sure this is an easy bug fix. Overall the game is really great!
i can't relax when the music is this loud
This game was so calming and nice to play. The soft drone of the music matches nice with the theme and tone of the levels. Thank you for the game
Best game on itch.io so far!
This is a work of art!