MAGIC Spell Studios, an indie publisher who distributes projects created by students at the Rochester Institute of Technology, has announced that Fragile Equilibrium will be available to download for the PC (through the Windows Store and Itch.io) and Xbox One this Friday, December 21.
Fragile Equilibrium is a side-scrolling shooter that also serves as a metaphor for a chaotic life, as players will need to rebuild the world around them in addition to moving forward against the enemies in front of them:
Fragile Equilibrium is a game about the imperfection and impermanence of life. It is a reflection on transience, a balancing act between progress and regrowth, a reminder to find beauty in decay and inevitable destruction. Using old-school ‘shmup’ mechanics and forms, Fragile Equilibrium invites the player to explore a world of quick actions, forced decisions, and subtle strategy: but with each decision, the player falls ever out of balance.
As a work of art, Fragile Equilibrium is a thinly veiled allegory for dealing with depression and anxiety: it is intended specifically to create in the player the sense of being ‘squeezed’, a slowly building pressure and feeling of being trapped, and to lead players to reflect on balancing their forward progress with a constant need to reconsider, rebuild, and refocus on internally facing (i.e. inward facing) issues and obstacles. It challenges players to find a Fragile Equilibrium in their own play, as a metaphor for conveying issues of instability.
Fragile Equilibrium will also be released through Steam in January, and it’ll be available as a free download on all platforms.
