My Dream Job: How I Survived Job Hunting in Animation

I found this game very moving--weirdly, the part that most horrified me (even moreso than the job hunting in Hollywood part!) was hearing about how Sears compensated its workers--as a retail employee who does art as a hobby, that sounded incredibly dark and not something I would be able to tolerate either lol. Congratulations on surviving!

I didn't expect to play this game today, but I'm glad I did. I don't have anything to say that hasn't already been said, so I'll keep it simple:

Thanks for making this game! For many years, I've always remembered Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya whenever I hear Gymnopedies, but next time, I might think of this game.

I am HERE!!!!!!!

This is a beautiful game. I think we thing we're admitting defeat by "giving up" on our dreams but really we're moving forward. It just might not look like that at the time.

A Bitsy Masterpiece. 💗

magic of animation studio attraction, school, graduation, feeling lost, ready for unpaid internships, desillusions, dark thoughts, always pushing forward, making more and more effort while questioning "being adult should be knowing what to do", being back and stuck in parent's house after being graduatued, looking for "regular" job, being over qualified for some, being rejected or not answered, not being qualified for available jobs, after all these efforts and maximum notation in schools...

There are so much things I understand and know in your story. Thanks for sharing this in this way, with a great use of Bitsy. Each new screen is a new scene, beautiful and so emotional.

You're a survivor

Anything related to any art industry is a lottery

Hope you're feeling better now, hope you're OK

take care

Thank you for sharing your game and intimate story. Despite its simplicity, or perhaps its because of its simplicity, I found the experience gripping. I fell silent and couldn't stop playing until I got to The End. An enlightening and powerful story.

After playing the game, I searched for a link to your website as I had to know how the story ended after the last scene of the game. I'm glad to see the other projects you've made and been a part of. It was nice to be able to read the commentary surrounding the game like audience reception, the challenges and post-mortem. 

Some of the text animations reminded me of Twine Games. Twine is an open source tool used for creating interactive fiction/story games. I'm not sure how robust the system is for pictures, but I've seen some great games like Temple of No come out of it. But, Wayfarer by Idrelle Games on itch.io contains more visual assets.

This is one of the best games that I've played in quite a while and definately the best that I've played of it's kind. Stirring up emotions in an individual through art indeed a tremendous feat, one which is achieved here). Keep up the great work

I finally made an account specifically so I could write this

Hey, thanks for this experience you created. I'm in a very different situation regarding the field of study and type of job I search, but I might also end up doing some video games at some point in my life ^^. Anyway, also hard time finding a job and feeling bad to still be in my mom's place at 30 yo because I don't find a job. You helped me feel a little bit better by seeing I'm not alone and things just keep changing, sooner or later.

Thank you again <3

ok, i enjoyed this
thank you very much :)

This is dark and i may have this period of my life soon when i finish highschool... or not , definitely. The things about human is "learning from mistakes" , will learn from your past in order to improve my future to not at least be in this situation , 13 years have passed since the period i think? and u probably... ok... for now , well , keep alive , the people i hate most is the people who gives up their life easily , i freaking hate them , i have sworn that i will never have suicide till the day i truly die by other causes... World gives u a life for many reasons and u can't just throw away it like that.... I know , Life is a b*tch , Society is an a**hole but listen , if u lose Life and Society rn , u are a freaking coward , so... be alive , be a survivor , be a face for others know so that they can survive from this also...

God, this was emotional. Thank you for creating this little experience, I felt like crying reading about some of the stuff that you were going through... It was a powerful story to say the least. Glad you made it to be with us today. Take care and good luck in your life ^^

Mashing arrow keys seemingly made a rather simple story all the more entertaining, would recommend.

i have no words....... just,,, wow.

incredible... i have no words. thank you for making this, you should be intensely proud of yourself for making this piece of art

the Best Bitsy game ive Played

Thank you for sharing your story with us. I can imagine it must have been hard going through what you went through. I hope you are doing well now. 

Awwwwwwwwww! fuck disney holy shit, castmember with a broom.

Thank you for making this. Extremely powerful stuff. I can definitely relate with some of the feelings expressed in here and know people in my life going through similar circumstances. I hope you're still surviving. I hope we can all survive together.

Incredibly powerful, one of the best Bitsy games I've seen! I wish you the best in all your future endeavors <3

Going through a very similar experience with disillusionment and the games industries. This was a super helpful and meaningful work to play through while reflecting on my own experiences. 

That was intense. My life is so bland in comparison. So happily bland. Accepting parent, laughting at crowded and wanted places I won't even consider any competition ("it's silly") and when I failed repeitively finding jobs I reflected to myself "if I don't have it, it'll go to someone who needs it more, I'm okay with it, more free time for me !"...

Regarding back I had a lazy passive non-challenging life, mostly. Maybe affraid deep down of trying too hard like the story tells. Trying hard means gambling quite a lot. I hadn't (and still don't) have it in me.

I don't have much to offer to this world tho, and I sometimes loath myself for my blandness. If I could meet the protagonist ? She could see my teary eyes saying "goddamit, you are some heroic figure and i'm in aw. And I hate the world that made your tragedy possible. I wish I could make you see yourself by my eyes : some proud human who was pushed by stupid cult for success and economic struggle. You should have a guarenteed income and made lot of art so I and my like could enjoy it. I'm proud and happy you are here, and I'm weeping thinking this sad story isn't yours only, but a massive systemic phenomenon."

this was hard to play through but very powerful. i hope you're doing better now!

Thank you for making this. As someone who had to put pursuing a creative career on hold all together. Along side too many of my friends in the same boat, this strikes a dark and resonate chord with me. So thank you for sharing in such a lovely lovely medium. Stay strong we are survivors. <3

Maybe life is not fair,but livinng in the life and being happy everyday it everyone's right,hope everyone would find your life spark,also hoping you will be real animator one day!Go away,DEPRESSION. 

hey, as a fellow cartoon lover/weird kid/someone who thought their value hinges solely on what they do, I really enjoyed your game! It made me a little emotional, too (and I can't believe you met Pendleton Ward tbh). 

I'll be looking forward to whatever you post/do in the future! 

(But if for whatever reason you don't, it's also ok. This experience still mattered to me) 

I loved this!!

Beautiful game, Joanie!! This is so powerful, and well made. I appreciate your willingness to share something so personal <3

Amazing, more people should play this

this hit me hard; thank you for sharing it

Lovely game. The simplicity of the art and the music allows the story to really consume the player. It all goes so well together, keep up the good work and I wish you the best.

thank you for sharing this. your way of weaving a narrative is so compelling. and i really appreciated how you gave a warning and an exit option for the parts of the story that could be potentially distressing (if that's the right word?). it's a really thoughtful thing to do. wishing you happiness and good things :)

😭