Here There Be Bears is an interactive media project - part film, part escape room, part virtual reality video game - that immerses the player in the experience of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Look through the eyes of Sam and follow the fragment memories of the caving accident that left her with residual trauma years later. In the middle of her panic, a mysterious emanating from her phone serves as a guide. Slowly, the player will approach the shameful secret surrounding Sam’s accident, and will come to discover the true nature of the voice on the phone. The ultimate goal is escape, but the player will have to balance the need to escape with the urge to dig deeper into Sam’s mind to uncover all of her memories, even as each iteration makes it harder to break free. Here, trauma is the bear, lurking somewhere in the penumbra of the cave, seen only in shadow and heard only in echoes. Those with trauma must learn how to deal with their own personal bear - by running from it, hiding from it, confronting it, or being consumed by it. Here There Be Bears is a first person adventure narrative that introduces the player to the experience of dealing with the impacts of PTSD. Through map puzzles, labyrinthine navigation, and interactive mini games, the player will uncover Sam's history and present and see how relationships with others and oneself can be affected. Along the way, the phone serves as a central tool to interact with the environment, though reliance on the phone and its guide might lead you to loop forever.
