A Personal Story Transformed into a Video Game
For Russell Quinn, 2017 was a year marked by profound loss. After relocating to the United Kingdom to care for his ailing mother, he faced the devastating reality of losing both his mother and grandmother within a single month. This period of grief became the foundation for his deeply personal video game project, Linda & Joan.
Turning Trauma into Interactive Art
Quinn, an accomplished designer and programmer with credits including the digital novel The Silent History, found solace in creation. “I was reading about how other artists processed grief,” he shared. “There’s a rich tradition of novelists writing through personal tragedy—I realized games could offer that same catharsis.”
While grief remains an unconventional theme in gaming, Quinn saw interactive storytelling as the natural medium for his experience. “I’m not a novelist or filmmaker,” he explained. “Games are my language, so it made sense to tell this story through gameplay.”
The Emotional Challenges of Development
The creative process proved unexpectedly intense. Quinn initially avoided modeling his mother’s 3D likeness, using a simple pink cylinder as a placeholder. “I feared making her death feel too real,” he admitted. When he finally created the model, an important realization emerged: “That digital representation wasn’t my mother—it became an actor, an avatar. That perspective shift let me approach the project as a director guiding performances.”
‘Four Months Earlier’: A Free Prologue Experience
This week, Quinn released Four Months Earlier, a free prologue available for Windows, Mac, and iOS. This introductory chapter transports players to sunny Los Angeles months before the main story’s events, following Quinn and his mother Linda during a visit. Through thoughtful dialogue choices, players glimpse their relationship dynamics and the challenges ahead.
What to Expect from the Full Game
While the complete Linda & Joan won’t launch until 2022, the prologue serves as both a preview for players and a pitch to potential publishers. The full game will transition from California to English countryside settings, adopting a point-and-click adventure format with emotion-driven puzzles.
Quinn emphasizes authenticity: “The story ends with both deaths—that reality can’t be changed. But like in life, you can influence how characters process these events. When someone receives a terminal diagnosis, that fact is fixed. Yet how you live through those remaining months together can vary tremendously.”
Why This Game Matters
Linda & Joan represents a bold exploration of grief through interactive media. By allowing players to navigate complex emotional landscapes rather than traditional gameplay challenges, Quinn creates space for meaningful reflection on loss, family, and healing.
“The puzzles aren’t about finding keys or solving riddles,” Quinn notes. “They’re about balancing needs, managing emotions, and finding ways to be present during impossible circumstances.”
As the gaming industry continues to mature, projects like Linda & Joan demonstrate the medium’s potential for profound emotional storytelling—proving that games can tackle life’s most difficult experiences with nuance and respect.
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Like Quinn’s game—which transforms personal loss into a shared narrative—this luggage tag turns a functional item into a conversation starter. For readers navigating their own transitions (whether grief, travel, or upheaval), it’s a small reminder that even practical objects can carry meaning—and that being lost is sometimes part of the journey.
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Just as the article explores how creative people process grief and transition, this passport cover represents the physical journeys we undertake during life’s challenging chapters. It’s a practical companion for those who, like the game’s creator, may find themselves moving between places while carrying personal stories.
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For readers who’ve experienced loss and life transitions like the article describes, this practical travel accessory symbolizes how we carefully carry our memories and belongings forward. While it can’t ease grief, it serves as a metaphor for how we manage what we take with us on life’s difficult journeys.
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