I’m not sure I’ve ever played a game with such a panic-induced toilet scene. To a T begins with the young player character waking up in the morning before school and, first things first, needs to use the bathroom. Cue alarm bells, a sprint, and some awkward door opening before sweet relief accompanied by an orchestral chime.
In To a T, even the most everyday events are awkward. That’s because the protagonist – a young teen created by the player – is stuck in a T-pose, arms constantly spread out wide. It’s obviously a bit of a joke on the sort of character bug you might see in Skyrim, but there’s a deeper, more serious message here about disability too.
I played a short demo of To a T at this year’s Game Developers Conference, which was effectively a ‘day in the life’ of the young protagonist as they wake up and head to school. Yet in a T-pose, even the mundane is turned into a quest – as the trailer’s song goes, “the little things are hard for me”. Simple actions like cleaning teeth, eating breakfast, and choosing clothes are far from easy – each control stick becomes an arm as you tip a box of cereal carefully into a bowl before slowly but surely easing the spoon towards your mouth. It brings to mind something like Octodad and its awkward controls, but here underpinned by sincerity beyond its humour.
Thankfully, the teen is aided by one of the most adorable video game dogs I’ve seen. A little white ball of fluff with a lolling tongue, waddling walk and beady eyes, the dog is able to help squeeze toothpaste onto a toothbrush or grab clothes from the wardrobe – truly man’s best friend. A later episode involving dog poop was not only hilarious, it hinted at a super-powered narrative development.