cover me in leaves is probably, if i had to pick, the game that had the greatest effect on me. ever.

minecraft certainly shaped my life more than cover me in leaves, but not so much because of the game as because of the time i spent with it and who i spent it with.
cover me in leaves did it all by itself.

it was probably 2am. i was huddled up on my shitty desk chair, knees at my chest. it was the first summer of covid. it was hot in my house. i had a fan blowing at me, sitting on my desk. it was far too big to be there, but it was my only option.

"On bright minds, and the end of all things."
a wailing lament echoed across a frozen, snow-covered lake.

"And then we kissed."
it was all over from there. as soon as i clicked that dialogue, my fate was sealed. i no longer had any choice in the matter.

that sounds ominous, but i mean it in the best way. it took all of 10 minutes, but it felt like hours. cover me in leaves held my cheeks like a mother and whispered to me, "you have to live. whatever you do, it doesn't matter. you have to live."

i cannot possibly explain more. i'm 18, now. i'm going away to college come fall. i'm going to get a tattoo. "A leaf -- just a single leaf -- traced out on the soft side of my wrist."

p.s. i've spoken with elliot, the writer, a few times and she's absolutely lovely.