bed rotting (verb):

- a state of indifferent melancholy, of apathetic immobility, wherein the effort to physically do anything, even to leave one's bed, feels insurmountable or futile, compared to activities such as doomscrolling or simply consuming content solely to occupy one's time.

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This is more of a work of interactive poetry than it is a "game." But it represents a certain mindset where a lack of motivation to do something worthwhile becomes a game in and of itself—how much fulfillment can I squeeze out of my free time to keep myself sane?

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Bedrotting Simulator is not a pretty game. Its a sordid representation of the value placed upon human life in a society which simultaneously overvalues engagement and undervalues creation.

Art itself becomes concerned with the myriad ways with which it could turn a profit. The process of creation becomes secondary to the finished product, relegating art for art's sake as a thing children do—if its just for yourself, then it isnt "productive."

But the problem with this philosophy, glaringly obvious if youve ever tried doing anything new, is that art—like many things—is a skill. And all skills need to be practiced before you can really enjoy any of the results. Youre not going to make a masterpiece on your first try. But if you cant put any time into something without needing it to be "productive," then you can never learn anything new (it isnt "profitable," so why bother?).

Bedrotting Simulator captures this dilema in two ways:

1. The answer to success (by one's own metric) is not obvious.
2. The process of creating something new can be tedious and tiresome.

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There Does Exist A Way To Beat The Game (SPOILERS!!)

If you haven't played the game, now is the time to do so. It'll barely take you five minutes and once you know how to win, there really isnt much point to continue playing.

Youve been warned!

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The game gives you points for bedrotting and other activities, goading you into believing the authority of metrics as a measure of your overall health. Its easy to lay in bed and do nothing or sit at your computer and play video games all day. Its not easy to sit alone with your thoughts. The game goes out of its way to make you feel uncomfortable when you sit in that chair, with nothing to do but watch as the player character agonizes along with you.

So how do you "win" Bedrotting Simulator? You stop consuming and you start making. Making what? It doesnt really matter. You feel the pang of creation deep within your soul, but the world tells you its more valuable to consume. To win Bedrotting Simulator, you must reject its very namesake.

You have to push through the initial agony of just sitting with your thoughts. With all the distraction youre causing yourself, you've been putting off dealing with some big issues. Its only when you stop and confront these woes that you feel any better about yourself and the world.

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Once your motivation value reaches 50, you will be prompted to start working on a project if you sit down at your computer. Completing this project wins you the game.

But did you think it was that easy? Youre going to need more than 50 Motivation points to complete the project. In fact, you'll need 75 or more to see it the whole way through.

Unfortunately, there is only so much you can do in a day. The game cycle resets after 120 seconds, so in order to get that many points to start AND finish the project, youre going to have to sit your ass in the chair right at the break of dawn.