Video Game / Closer the Distance

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Closer the Distance is a Slice of Life simulator game developed by Osmotic Studios, developers of Orwell, and published by Skybound Entertainment. It was released on August 2, 2024 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

Conny, a teenager, lives in the small seaside village of Yesterby with her parents Pia and Axel and her elder sister Angie. The family, as well as the community as a whole, is shaken one night when, after she left home following a fight with her mother, Angie is found dead, having met with an accident while riding her bicycle. As the residents of the village prepare for her funeral, Conny is contacted by what seems to be Angie's spirit, talking to her and asking her to help her parents and loved ones move on from her death. Gameplay involves managing characters' physical and emotional needs, deciding the actions they need to take to handle this turbulent time.

Closer the Distance displays the following tropes:

• Aerith and Bob: The main family's members include Pia, Axel, Angela, and Concordia.
• Five Stages of Grief: Played realistically, with most characters going through the phases out of order and switching back and forth. Pia switches between anger and denial when she first hears the news, screaming at the police officers to get out of the house and going to the kitchen to cook dinner as if nothing is wrong; Axel sinks into a deep depression that he doesn't move from; and Zek angrily declares that Angie couldn't have died and walks away from the rest of the villagers when he finds out.
• Posthumous Character: Angie is not seen alive during the events of the game and thus is The Faceless: she is primarily seen as a white silhouette in Conny's memories.
• Title Drop: The title of the game comes from the last poem Angie wrote, as shown in the page quote. She left it incomplete as she couldn't think of a word to finish it, and thus it is the last thing Conny carries of her.