#philosophyexplained

fallen devotion is a dating sim, yes, but I wanted it to be more than just that. I wanted to raise awareness about SO many things, and the most important message is: communication, asking for help, and having someone you can rely on is the BIGGEST key to healing.

If any of you lovelies are struggling with mental health, you'll find countless hidden messages throughout the game. I'm literally begging you to give life a second chance. Bottling up your feelings is so harmful, and I want you to know that things do get better. Clive's "death" was his first step toward healing. He was reborn through pain, scars and guilt. And finally, he's able to be himself. He's able to be honest with you, to share everything he went through after carrying it all alone for SO long that not even you knew.

Once he opens up completely, that lovely boy will finally find peace, he'll finally live, not just survive.

ANYWAY. A little explanation: the death of God is one of the most important concepts in Nietzsche's philosophy. I used some of his ideas to build up the story, and to hide themes of mental health and everyday struggles without triggering anyone.

It's such a misunderstood concept tbh. Nietzsche didn't mean that God literally died, he meant that humanity no longer relies on a divine being to explain the world. We have science, technology. We've even reached a point where we can bring extinct species back to life. Humanity now sees itself as the "God", the center of existence. Just look around- any political or influential figure seems to have a god complex (😭). We've become so distanced from the essence of living that we barely feel anymore.

We're glued to our phones, so overstimulated that nothing surprises us. We've desensitized ourselves. (Death of the Dionysian).

That's why Clive is important, he's the only human being in the fallendev universe with BOTH Apollonian and Dionysian spirits. Most of us are purely Apollonian, restrained, rational etc. The Dionysian spirit "died" with Socrates and the birth of reason.

In Clive, these two sides are constantly clashing; one part of him is TRYING to hold on, the other is urging him to completely let go (meaning: emotional instability).

As for the forgotten God (you guessed right), I chose him because he really did die. The snake has many meanings, but the one on Clive's arm (connected to his guilt and mental health) eventually became an ouroboros, symbol of life's circular nature. No beginning, no end, just the same loop over and over.

It reflects the feeling of loss, that awful cycle of depression where we lose the concept of time. Clive has the power (from the God's energy) to make others relive everything he's gone through. The God's symbol is also a snake, which ties everything together.

Remember Silas saying "please make it stop. I want to die"? Clive has felt that way his whole life. But he never had the courage, he'd feel like a coward. He'd feel like he failed to protect you, that he always runs from his problems. AND here's something I'll tell you:

You represent avoidant attachment and empathy. Clive represents anxious attachment, your styles clash, and unless you both learn to communicate, things won't workout.

As for empathy, you'll probably find the demo and first chapter confusing, or a bit destabilizing.

That's intentional. You're meant to mirror what Clive feels. The game is meant to make you feel detached from reality, the same way brain fog does.

The more you push Clive toward the Dionysian, the more unstable you'll feel. The more you push him toward the Apollonian, the more cold and suffocated you'll feel.

If you balance him (from chapter 2 and on), everything will start to make sense.

:3

"dipingerò i tuoi occhi quando conoscerò la tua anima" -Modigliani

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Do we return again and again… …or rise once, forever changed? Rebirth and resurrection shape not just beliefs—but entire cultures. Watch → [link]