Even in Arcadia

About

Even in Arcadia casts you as an attendee at a lavish interplanetary launch party for a new planet. Set in a future where corporate entities have replaced governments and Earth is a myth, the game unfolds in the Arcadia Botanical Gardens. You explore different areas, overhearing conversations among guests whose personal stories loop in repeating patterns. The simulation focuses on observation rather than action, letting you piece together the lives and conflicts of those around you while reflecting on the artificial recreation of nature in a capitalist society. The game stands out for its minimalist approach to storytelling and sharp social critique. By framing environmental themes within a sci-fi setting, it questions the authenticity of nature in a world driven by consumerism. The repetitive yet evolving dialogue and stark visuals create an eerie atmosphere, making you ponder the disposable cycles of progress. Though short, the experience lingers, with players on forums often discussing its layered messages and the quiet tension between humanity and the ecosystems it constructs.

Storyline

In a distant future in which capitalism and consumerism have continued to run rampant, corporations have replaced all government, and planet Earth has long been relegated to legend, society constantly moves to new planets and throws away the old ones like last year's model of smartphone. You are a guest at the launch party for the most recently developed planet: Arcadia. Over the course of the evening you will wander the Arcadia Botanical Gardens' various rooms and eavesdrop on the other distinguished guests whose stories and dramas play out in a repeating cycle. The Gardens claim to recreate the natural world of "prelaunch" Earth, a world no one has experienced in thousands of years. The game explores humanity's relationship to nature under capitalism, speculating on what "nature" would look when completely constructed by humans, and prompting the question of how close we may already be to such a reality.