How hypothetical milk spills and musings on mortality shaped The Wreck

gamedeveloper.com:

This interview has been edited for clarity and includes spoilers for The Wreck

Relive the past, alter the present, and embrace the future. That's the philosophy at the very heart of The Wreck, the latest project from Bury me, my Love and Inua: A Story in Ice and Time developer The Pixel Hunt.

The 3D visual novel follows failed screenwriter Junon as she navigates the most pivotal day of her life, culminating in a car accident, and grapples with complex themes such as love and mortality by asking players to plunge into Junon's memories to better understand the trauma that shaped her present and, hopefully, chart a path forwards.

Speaking to Game Developer earlier this year, The Pixel Hunt co-founder and The Wreck lead writer, Florent Maurin, explained the idea for the project formed after he was involved in a car accident with his daughter. Although they were both unharmed, Maurin said the experience caused fragments of his life to flash before his eyes, and left him ruminating on the fragile, fleeting nature of existence.

"When I dug into [why I wanted to tell this story], I realized that I'm a father of two, and it was just me trying to face one of the biggest anxieties you can have as a father, which is the possibility of losing a child," he said. "This was something I needed to address personally, and I wanted it to feel honest." As a result, the idea of engaging with The Wreck's cast through the lens of memory was always the intent, largely because it allowed Maurin to pour himself into the project.

"Very early on, I had this idea for the characters, and where the story should start and end. I knew how I wanted Junon's character arc to progress," he continued. "I knew it was crucial for her to face people who were