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Announcing the release of "Escape from Crystal Mall", a witty and immersive throwback to flash based games of yore and a sendup of Y2K nostalgia.

Exploring y2k in Crystal Mall

A friend of mine runs an art challenge every year called “Mayllennial”, which becomes an opportunity for kids of all ages to explore 90s and y2k culture. This year, as with previous years, Ellie and I have released a game. You can play Escape from Crystal Mall free, right now, in your very own browser!

Alternative link: https://iskotaa.itch.io/crystal-mall-y2k

Nostalgia much?

Even though this is the second game that, on the surface, appears to be a nostalgic mess, I'm hoping at least a few of you will notice that there's a consistent theme running through both Fresh Wizzy and this game: nostalgia is a trap.

Robin and Sid in the "Escape from Crystal Mall" browser game. Robin stands with blonde hair and her back to the camera with Sid waving in the background. Sid says "....traaaaaaped...in the mall....forever!". The store they are in is covered in 'store closing' posters and is filled with items invoking Hot Topic and Spenser's Gifts.

I'm not saying I'm free from lamenting how much more I like the lofi pixelation of Mario Kart Wii, or that I'm not a sucker for replaying 20 year old games instead of the latest and greatest. I just try to recognize when the nostalgia is keeping me stuck in a world that doesn't exist, and never will again. The 90s were imperfect, the 2000s were trashy, and we're certainly going through “unprecedented times” yet again (although they are pretty precedented, given history). But you can choose to walk away. You can spend time with your friends and then just leave, resolving to do better.

Robin in the "Escape from Crystal Mall" browser game. She has brown hair with blue streaks and stands at the entrance to the mall. She looks outside, muttering to herself "It always smells like burned muffins and glue in here. I could get some fresh air instead. Go for a walk, maybe. It's my day off, I don't need to be here...."

If you find yourself stuck, maybe this game will help you find what holds you back. At the very least, we hope you'll find it witty and charming and get a few laughs out of it. So, will you move on and try to make a better future, like Robin, or will you stay stuck to your food court bench forever?

Find out in Escape from Crystal Mall

What's next?

I think this is our last Mayllennial game. I've done a few of these and explored the themes I wanted to, and I'm ready to move on and leave my fanny pack behind. This isn't the end of games by yours truly, though. Ellie and I have formed a studio (with official paperwork and everything!), and have begun our next game. It's like nothing we've made before, and we're itching to share more very very soon. So keep an eye on our socials and get excited, because we're just getting started.

See you around!