The Game
Inpatient is a simulation of a mental health crisis and the patient experience of psychiatric hospitalization. It is an interactive novel of over 160,000 words that takes you through a 72 hour hospital stay. The characters in this game are fictional, but the events within are inspired by real-life experiences.
You play as Jessica Meredith Gonzales, a 32-year-old woman who experiences a crisis after the loss of a pet. As the guilt gives way to suicidal feelings, you approach the emergency room at Eastown General Hospital in an effort to survive the crisis. Throughout your hospital stay, you will make both friends and enemies as you navigate a microcosm of the outside world. There are nine major characters to interact with, each having their own story to tell. It is impossible to learn everything there is to know in one reading.
The Author
Alana Zablocki draws on her personal experiences of the psychiatric system throughout Toronto and the rest of Ontario to offer a serious look at the state of emergency psychiatric services - often the last resort of individuals surviving a crisis. Combining her programming and storytelling expertise, she provides a window into the grim realities people face in a system that frequently falls short of its healing potential.