Billy Suicide is a flash game with a simple goal: keep Billy from killing himself. Here's a brief summation from the "How to Play" blurb on Newgrounds:
Billy is a chronically depressed musician, struggling to get through another day. This is achieved by constantly changing his activities to shift the direction of his mood. If Billy survives three stages, morning, afternoon and evening, and scored enough points, his girlfriend Farah may reward him.
Seems straightforward enough and not unlike so many other games in which the basic premise is simply to keep the protagonist alive despite overwhelming odds. It just so happens that in this game those overwhelming odds do not stem from an external source of fang-toothed, creepy-crawly, nasty creatures, but from an internal source: the protagonist's mental and emotional states.
Needless to say, and despite its ostensible anti-suicide goal, the game has drawn a great deal of controversy. Organizations such the Samaritans and PAPYRUS, in statements to the UK Daily Telegraph, have called for a ban on the game, suggesting that the game actually promotes suicide and poses a threat to the vulnerable hearts and minds of impressionable teenagers. Today, Billy Suicide creator Dave Lasala opened up to Eurogamer with his own response and personal perspective on the game:
I wanted the game Billy Suicide to be an exaggerated self-portrait. I also wanted to use it to look at a difficult subject with a sense of humour. I feel I have some authority on the subject, having rescued two brothers from suicide attempts. [...] Anyway, it seems to me that people blame violent art, angry music and horror movies for negative behaviour because it's easier to reduce complex issues down to a neat one-sentence solution, like, 'If there were no violent movies there would be no violence. I would encourage everyone to check out the Oscar-winning documentary Bowling for Columbine for an in-depth examination of this behaviour. That being said, the object of the game Billy Suicide is to keep him alive.
The Billy Suicide site does feature a disclaimer on its homepage encouraging individuals who are suicidally depressed or anxious to visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org. Want to judge the game for yourself? You can play it online at Newgrounds or Funny-Games.
November 18th, 2008 at 11:22 am
I'm sad now.
November 18th, 2008 at 11:37 am
post title ftw!
November 18th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
@Jesse Aw, don't be sad. Take some pills and watch some TV or meditate then play bass. That will make you happy.
@Janice WOOOOT WOOT HEATHERS WOOT.
November 18th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Have to say, after giving it a try, I can see why some might have a problem with it, and not just for the suicide concerns -- the game's legitimate ways to survive in the world consist of sex, drugs and rock n' roll, with the odd bout of meditation and cup of coffee thrown in.
November 18th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
@Sean Do you think, though, that those aspects of the game are meant to emphasize how very bleak Billy's options are?