The founder of Silver Script Games, Alyx Jones, expressed her profound disappointment following the last-minute decision to withdraw the trailer for her upcoming indie adventure, The Quiet Things, from the BAFTA Games Awards showcase. This unexpected turn of events left her in tears, as she had been optimistic about the potential exposure for her project. On her way to the nominees’ party, she learned that the trailer was pulled due to its sensitive content, a decision made by BAFTA with the wellbeing of all guests in mind.
Understanding the Narrative
The Quiet Things is an autobiographical adventure game that delves into the complexities of a fractured childhood in the South of England during the 2000s. The narrative follows Alice, a young woman navigating her tumultuous environment while grappling with themes of abuse. The game’s mature content includes discussions surrounding self-harm, suicide, sexual assault, and childhood abuse. Silver Script Games emphasizes the importance of giving survivors a voice, with Alice’s journey resonating with many untold stories.
In a heartfelt post on LinkedIn, Jones shared, “The Quiet Things is deeply personal to me. It’s my story. It’s about trauma, abuse, survival, and giving survivors a voice. It’s about being shut down and silenced, and what that does to them. So there is something deeply painful about reliving that again now. Art should make people feel something.” Despite having revised the trailer to address initial concerns, she was informed that there wasn’t enough time to implement appropriate warnings for the audience.
BAFTA’s Stance
A representative from BAFTA clarified the organization’s position, stating, “We made a compliance decision not to show a trailer of an unreleased game that contains themes that may be a trigger for some, in consideration of our guests as we were not in a position to sufficiently warn them. We fully support games that engage with difficult subjects, and we made the decision in relation to our event only and with the wellbeing of all guests as our priority.”
Jones reflected on the emotional toll of this experience, noting, “For the last two weeks, I’d been working hard to cut this trailer together while already badly burned out, because I believed this was the biggest opportunity we were ever likely to get.” She had made significant revisions to the trailer, including removing imagery that BAFTA flagged as potentially violent.
Seeking Support
Jones expressed her frustration with the recurring challenges she faces due to the sensitive nature of her subject matter. “What has upset me so much is not just the decision, but how this happens to me over and over, doors close because the subject matter might upset people or make them uncomfortable.” Following the announcement, she found it particularly difficult to hear presenters at the awards celebrating games that tackle challenging themes.
The Quiet Things is set to release on Thursday, June 4. Interested players can wishlist the game on Steam, where a free demo is also available for download. In her closing remarks, Jones urged the community for support: “We’ve lost a huge opportunity because of this, and I really need your help. Please watch the trailer and decide for yourself whether BAFTA was right to pull it. If you can help its visibility in any way, that would mean so much to me, and everyone who has worked on the game.”
