A Different Set of Differences

Flash games are a dime a dozen. They proliferate across the internet, especially if one knows where to look. Some, however, are so well-constructed and intricately designed they are a work of art unto themselves. One such is 6 Differences. Although it has already been online for several years and is by no means new, it is certainly worth a look if you have never seen it before, or a revisit for those who have. Even those who do not usually care for flash games (such as I) might find this one interesting if nothing else. Recall, if you may, those side-by-side nearly identical illustrations one used to find in puzzle books or in the back of the daily paper. As its name suggests, Ivoryboy’s 6 Differences takes this classic and transforms it into something entirely new and worthwhile.

The game holds a strange and distinct atmosphere in a way that is difficult to lay a finger on. It is clear, however, that both visual and aural elements work in concert to create the slightly eerie ambiance that permeates the game. The sets of images appear largely photorealistic, sometimes mixed with vector-style rendering. Each set depicts a cold, empty nighttime scene. Some are urban, some are fantastical, some are industrial, and some look very ordinary but for the darkness, the only light the yellow wash of a street lamp somewhere off to the side. Everything, after all, looks different in the dark. All have a surreal, desolate air to them, some more than others.

Every time the player finds a difference, he or she is rewarded by a clear, piano-like tone that moves progressively up the scale with each subsequent find. One or two of the scenes, however, jolt one out of whatever calm, complacent place into which they have been lulled- the scale suddenly takes a unusual turn, something which, when paired with the surrealism of the image, can be decidedly disconcerting in effect. Another clever feature: however many things the player has left to find, there is an indicator of the number remaining, somewhere. Graphically, everything is almost seamlessly integrated. Animations are also built into the scene, natural regardless of how surreal everything else is. Many of these are meant to be distracting; others, environmental and repetitive, but they all do so well.

None of this, however, would have half the impact it does without the soundtrack, something so subtle one would hardly think to notice it at all. Every scene is backed by a subtle, sparse music that is augmented by the individually insignificant but integral white noise. The harsh caw of a crow. Wind. Crickets and cicadas. The sound of the smooth stream of traffic flowing down the highway a block over, unidentifiable environmental noises. The music consists of a slow, heavy rambling of piano, an electronic beat and faint drone insinuating themselves into the mix of sounds. In fact, the music sounds positively upbeat in comparison to everything else. It turns out the track comes from the Nine Inch Nails’ Ghosts album, an experimental collection filled with other pieces of similarly mesmerizing and eerie quality.

(Click through to play original with larger resolution)