Autism is a developmental disorder typically diagnosed in children that makes communication between peers more difficult, as well as various other quirks. Max, an Autistic Journey is game created by a father and son, based off of a day in the life of a young individual with autism. The game itself is in the style of a top-down RPG, and uses the active imagination of Max in order to overcome everyday challenges.
I really enjoy this game. It sort of reminds me of an Earthbound-like with how a lot of the monsters and obstacles are down to Earth. However the context of using the active imagination of somebody with autism to rationalize it all makes it much more real.
The game is also very educational as well. Everything aspect of how autism is portrayed is well-researched or at least drawn from real-life experiences. There is a lot here, yet it’s sown into the narrative in a way that makes sense. Overall it results in M,AAJ coming off as one of the most subtle PSA games I’ve ever played, and the fact that it is also a fantastic RPGMaker experience makes it that much more special.
I received a code form the developers to showcase this project. As someone diagnosed with autism at a young age myself who plays a lot of RPGMaker, I really wanted to share this fun game with the world.
Game created by Stéphane Cantin
Game provided by developer for the purposes of Let’s Playing
Try the game yourself here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/511630/Max_an_Autistic_Journey/
Shepherd Armory 