Games Like The Things Left Behind

The Things Left Behind is a narrative-driven 2D indie game built from short, intimate slice-of-life vignettes about queer and disabled life.

In this game you move through everyday moments shaped by care, honor, humor, intimacy, and connection. Each self-contained level invites you to explore, talk, notice, and interact gently with the world around you. The experience centers on presence.

Experience Quiet, Playable Moments

Move through a child’s birthday party as sound builds and imagination becomes grounding. Walk beside someone through a forest where conversation, collecting small objects, and subtle visual shifts reflect intimacy and transition. Navigate a chaotic morning where tasks overlap and time feels slippery, capturing the experience of overstimulation and survival.

Each vignette stands on its own, with distinct art styles, mechanics, and tone. Together, they form a growing collection of playable experiences grounded in lived reality.

Designed Around Care

• Narrative-driven 2D gameplay • Short, self-contained vignette structure • Dialogue and exploration-focused interaction • Distinct art styles and mechanics per level • No fail states, no score pressure • Keyboard, mouse, and controller support • Built in Unity

A Community-Centered Design Process

The Things Left Behind is created through partnerships with disability and LGBTQ+ organizations that support workforce development and inclusive creative practice. Collaborators are brought into the project from the beginning. Partners begin by learning Unity-based game development, contributing to design and narrative decisions, and participating in playtesting and iteration. This is not a game about marginalized communities made from the outside. It is a game co-designed and built by queer and disabled creators, with paid roles, mentorship, and shared authorship embedded into the process. The result is a project where lived experience shapes not only the stories, but the mechanics, pacing, and emotional tone.