Overview
'83 to Kimmage' blends 1-bit visuals with a minimalist free-verse snapshot: six short lines, each creating a compact image. Its rhythm leans heavily on trochaic feet (strong–weak), giving it a clipped, staccato feel. Its lines paint a fleeting perception of a bus ride.
This is a short-form interactive poem, lasting around 30 seconds. It can also be defined as a game poem, a term created by Jordan Magnuson.
Design
'83 to Kimmage' uses Bitsy's minimalist pixel art to represent daily travel. Rendered in a soft green monochrome palette, the game depicts the cityscape, a bus, and small clusters of people with simple but recognisable forms. The sparse yet deliberate details — the trees, benches, and bus — capture the sense of observing fleeting moments on an ordinary commute.
The soundtrack, composed directly in Bitsy's tune maker, is a looping, upbeat chiptune pattern with a steady cadence that mirrors the repetitive motion of a bus ride. Its short, bright structure creates a sense of routine, grounding the experience in everyday life.
Together, the visuals and audio form a vignette that reflects on the quiet, overlooked poetry of public transport.
Roles
'83 to Kimmage' was created as a solo project, with all development roles handled by me:
- Game Creator & Designer: Designed the concept, mechanics, and narrative flow.
- Art Director & Illustrator: Illustrated all in-game assets in Bitsy. You can read more about the illustrations here.
- Programmer: The game's short, simple code was created in Bitsy.
- Writer: Wrote the short poem.
- Sound Designer & Composer: Created a simple, 8-bit style song within Bitsy. You can check out the theme on my music page.
- Game Tester: Personally tested the game to ensure clarity, pacing, and consistency in tone and visuals.