Inventory. 2025. Watercolor, ink, colored pencil on paper.

The following is a short writing exercise based on Inventory, a watercolor painting. Imagine you are now in a game based on the circumstances in the painting. You’ve wandered the woods all night, collecting things from the forest floor. As you hope for a sign directing you home, you end up face-to-whiskers with a magical antlered creature. You must decide which objects to use from your inventory in order to find your way back. 

The chosen objects in the story are pulled from  your comments on an Instagram post. I asked you to choose an item from the painting that I would weave into a story. It’s been a fun moment to think a bit about how developers design games involving strategic decision-making while weighing the unpredictability of human behavior. I included a pocket knife as a potentially destructive item in the painting and no one in the comments selected it as their first choice. I thought someone might be curious how I’d incorporate the knife into the storyline but it seemed my audience reached for more rational or neutral items for a cleaner, more optimized gameplay. Although, no one chose a compass which I think may have to do more with my drawing skills than human behavior.

Items you selected:

Matches, Dice, Crystals, Button, Lavender, Binoculars, Candy, Key, Blueberries

Items you did not select:

Money, Stick, Mushroom, Bandaid, Pocket Knife, Compass, Lighter

Full Text

You’re not sure how you got here... you only recall following the scent of something sweet. The glow of your lantern keeps you warm alongside the familiar company of the moon. All you have are the belongings in your pocket; a peculiar mix of items you picked up along the way. Then you spot a small horned creature nestled in an entanglement of roots covered in squishy moss. It notices you and inches toward your lantern glow. You present a couple of blueberries and lavender from your pocket. The creature is delighted by your offer, munching the juicy morsels and fragrant sprigs. You’re trying to find your way home with help from a creature who doesn’t seem to speak your language. What better way to communicate than with a friendly game. If you roll above a 7, the creature will show you a shortcut home. If you roll a 7 or below, the creature will take your lantern. The die tumble over a velvety patch of grass. Your outcome is determined: you roll an unlucky 7... you must forfeit your light source. At least you still have the moon. Earlier, you found a lonely key in the forest. You present it to the creature who seems to know where it goes. It nudges at the base of the lantern so you turn it upside down and see a keyhole. You insert the key, turn it, and hear the inner mechanisms unlock. A round pearlescent seed rolls out onto the ground from the lantern chamber. The creature buries the seed into a shallow hole within the Earth. You wait for the seed to germinate but it’s taking longer than expected. Not to worry. A piece of hard candy should help pass the time. You unwrap the crystallized confection and offer it to the creature. It takes a sniff but declines. You savor it in the pocket of your cheek and continue waiting... when suddenly a plant sprouts with two pink leaves. You watch it grow taller and taller with new leaves, first rising above the creature, then towering over you. You’ve never seen a pink tree before. You wonder if it’s bubblegum flavor. You take your binoculars and examine the dense foliage that proliferated toward the sky. A large green bird adorned in beads, ribbons, and sequins comes diving out from the tree toward you. It explains that you must give up all worldly possessions in order to continue on the path leading you home. You empty a spare button from your pocket. It accepts it and threads it through a loose colorful string before taking off into the darkness. The creature bows its head to you. Its antlers reveal a perfect nook for the crystal you’ve been carrying. You secure it in the prong-shaped antlers. The creature looks toward the moonlight. A stream of colorful light refracts from the crystal atop its head into the dark woods, illuminating a clear path home. Don’t forget to leave behind all worldly possessions first, as the ornate bird warned. You pluck your last crinkled dollar bill from your pocket and set it ablaze with a match. You watch the flame subside in the reflection of the creature’s eyes, who is pleased with your awareness and understanding. The creature bids you farewell. You bow and look toward the beam of light. Your steps feel lighter. Your pockets, too.

The End.