"BEER" is a simple one-level platformer with an interesting concept: after some time, a shadow of yourself appears and repeats every move you've made. If the shadow catches you, it's game over. With the passage of time, more shadows appear. Shadows will relentlessly chase you until they catch you. As far as I can tell, there is no way to win: you must jump platforms and collect points until you are caught. At one point, there are so many shadows, it's unavoidable to be touched by one of them. To delay this moment, you may move slowly so it's easier to keep track of shadows. You may establish a specific route, so the shadows follow a predetermined pattern. Nonetheless, there will come a point when there will be too many shadows to avoid.

I've heard the idea that "all models are wrong, but some are useful." Funnily enough, "BEER" brought the idea back to my attention. When I first played "BEER" I thought it was "a dull experience." The game has one level and gets boring really quick. I was done after 8 minutes. "BEER" was gifted to me as a joke due to its name ("haha, I bought you a beer! I mean, BEER!"), so the only thing I mourned was my lost time. However, in my first playthrough, I got about 60 points. The evening I am writing this review I came back to play "BEER" again to get 100 points. For no particular reason.

And it was boring. So much so that I had to escape into my thoughts to keep myself entertained. That's when I looked at "BEER" from a different, probably not intended, point of view: it's a game about dealing with the consequences of past actions. Absurd, but it amused me. The main character carelessly indulges in the present until shadows from the past start to appear. It seems as if they chase the main character, tirelessly trying to catch up. But in reality, they only precisely mimic past actions. In order to avoid the consequences of past actions, one has to think about the future and step through life cautiously. Stepping slowly and mindfully, along with a routine, helps establish stability and avoid unnecessary complexities. Nonetheless, eventually complexity becomes too great to be managed; one has to face the shadows of the past. There are two possible outcomes in "BEER": rush forward carelessly and be forced to face shadows early. Or, step cautiously and mindfully, delaying the inevitable until it grows so big and complex that it’s impossible to avoid it any longer. There is no escape from the complexities of life.

There is a lesson to be learned from such a demonstration. If something from the past haunts you, it will haunt you until you face it: voluntarily or not. There is a way to postpone the meeting, but prolong it for too long, and it will grow into a disaster. Having one's life under control allows one to choose the moment one wishes to face the shadows. It’s a known phenomenon in psychology that facing dangers, fears, and unpleasant thoughts voluntarily has a positive, healing effect on an individual. The opposite scenario is known to be damaging and produce a great deal of suffering. In a sense, the question is not whether or not to face the shadows; it’s inevitable. The question is "when to face them?" There are two possible answers: when you are ready and when you are not.

That's why I think the idea that "all models are wrong, but some are useful" is powerful. It could turn a simple, dull gaming experience into something meaningful. If a meaningful interpretation could be derived from "BEER", than there is no question whether it's possible with the existence itself.

"BEER" is a simple one-level platformer with an interesting concept: after some time, a shadow of yourself appears and repeats every move you've made. If the shadow catches you, it's game over. With the passage of time, more shadows appear. Shadows will relentlessly chase you until they catch you. As far as I can tell, there is no way to win: you must jump platforms and collect points until you are caught. At one point, there are so many shadows, it's unavoidable to be touched by one of them. To delay this moment, you may move slowly so it's easier to keep track of shadows. You may establish a specific route, so the shadows follow a predetermined pattern. Nonetheless, there will come a point when there will be too many shadows to avoid. I've heard the idea that "all models are wrong, but some are useful." Funnily enough, "BEER" brought the idea back to my attention. When I first played "BEER" I thought it was "a dull experience." The game has one level and gets boring really quick. I was done after 8 minutes. "BEER" was gifted to me as a joke due to its name ("haha, I bought you a beer! I mean, BEER!"), so the only thing I mourned was my lost time. However, in my first playthrough, I got about 60 points. The evening I am writing this review I came back to play "BEER" again to get 100 points. For no particular reason. And it was boring. So much so that I had to escape into my thoughts to keep myself entertained. That's when I looked at "BEER" from a different, probably not intended, point of view: it's a game about dealing with the consequences of past actions. Absurd, but it amused me. The main character carelessly indulges in the present until shadows from the past start to appear. It seems as if they chase the main character, tirelessly trying to catch up. But in reality, they only precisely mimic past actions. In order to avoid the consequences of past actions, one has to think about the future and step through life cautiously. Stepping slowly and mindfully, along with a routine, helps establish stability and avoid unnecessary complexities. Nonetheless, eventually complexity becomes too great to be managed; one has to face the shadows of the past. There are two possible outcomes in "BEER": rush forward carelessly and be forced to face shadows early. Or, step cautiously and mindfully, delaying the inevitable until it grows so big and complex that it’s impossible to avoid it any longer. There is no escape from the complexities of life. There is a lesson to be learned from such a demonstration. If something from the past haunts you, it will haunt you until you face it: voluntarily or not. There is a way to postpone the meeting, but prolong it for too long, and it will grow into a disaster. Having one's life under control allows one to choose the moment one wishes to face the shadows. It’s a known phenomenon in psychology that facing dangers, fears, and unpleasant thoughts voluntarily has a positive, healing effect on an individual. The opposite scenario is known to be damaging and produce a great deal of suffering. In a sense, the question is not whether or not to face the shadows; it’s inevitable. The question is "when to face them?" There are two possible answers: when you are ready and when you are not. That's why I think the idea that "all models are wrong, but some are useful" is powerful. It could turn a simple, dull gaming experience into something meaningful. If a meaningful interpretation could be derived from "BEER", than there is no question whether it's possible with the existence itself.