A nostalgic 8-bit visit to simpler times. Memories of a day with friends that will always bring a smile to your face.

1 Please Insert Coin

You look down at the arcade machine in exhaustion. You’ve just been playing for the last twenty minutes with your friend, but neither of you can get past the forest spiders, they just move so quickly. The two of you let the countdown lapse and are back to watching the game demo.

“Did Cass seem Ok to you?”

You shrug, not sure what she was talking about.

“She seemed a bit… let’s just go to her place. She said she would be at home.”

You agree, and start chatting with Rachel what could be happening with Cass.

2 Cozy on the Lounge of a Friend

You arrive at Cass’s place, and meet with Robert, her brother, and Stan, her oldest friend. It appears everyone had the same idea. Cass knew why you were all there, but nobody had said anything yet. The mood was a little down and cautious, but everyone was having a good time.

3 Goofing Off

You lost track of how it got here, but Robert started to act out the ending to Killer Monks II: The Golden Shrine of Anubis. Stan joined in, eager to play the Robo-Monk sidekick. More characters were introduced until nobody could keep track of what was happening anymore.

After this went on long enough, Stan grabbed a frisbee and asked Cass where the closest place they could throw it would be. There was a bit of back and forth about the best place, until Rachel started talking about how beautiful the park is, and how it’s supposed to have a really good view of the nearby mountains. Stan still brought the frisbee, but everyone knew it wasn’t going to be used.

4 Watching the Sun Set

Robert brought insect repellent, which had slipped everyone else’s mind. He also brought a picnic basket, and everyone was disappointed to learn that all it had in it was a packet of crackers with no cheese. Robert left a bit later to get some more and healthier snacks, because it really did seem like the group might not leave the park until well into the night.

Everyone chatted until the sun started to disappear into the mountains. From that point onwards, everybody just enjoyed the scenery.

5 Stargazing With Friends

Somebody finally asked the question that everyone wanted an answer to, what had upset Cass in the first place. Through teary eyes, she said that she turned an assignment in late, and it was going to affect her grade. She spoke about her fears, about how this might affect her future once she graduates. We comforted her, while gazing up at the night sky.

6 Anything is Possible Under This Starry Sky

It wasn’t long before everyone started to talk about their hopes and dreams.

The topic turned to the future. Who you are, and who you want to be.

It’s rare to have a moment when you can be so honest with yourself.

Even rarer to share that moment with friends.

7 The Next Day / Credits

Everyone went our separate ways the next morning. Most people had some obligations. You and Rachel had a few more hours until you would get pulled away by life. The two of you return to the arcades, eager to spend a few more coins trying to get past those forest spiders. Right now, this is as good as life can be.