In March 2024, after his grandmother accidentally fell, 31-year-old independent artist Zhou Yichen moved in to take care of her. Over the next six months, the two spent quiet yet heartwarming time together until she passed away peacefully in her sleep. To commemorate these precious memories, Zhou created a GameBoy game that recreates the final days he spent with his grandmother.

"Like how a movie poster or album cover can evoke emotions, seeing this game cartridge reminds me of the time I spent with my grandmother," said Zhou. After he shared the game on social media, many netizens were touched by his unique tribute.

Zhou was raised by his grandparents until he was three years old. Then he moved in with his parents, but he often visited his grandmother regularly during holidays. In his memories, his grandmother was always quietly working hard, smiling as she watched her family gather around her. In March 2024, after his grandmother's fall left her with limited mobility, Zhou took on the responsibility of caring for her, buying breakfast, applying medicine, and accompanying her on walks every day. To brighten her days, he often bought her chips and soda, which she described as "very sweet and exciting."

In July 2024, as his grandmother's health declined, Zhou came up with the idea of creating the game. He quickly completed 80% of the game but felt something was missing. It wasn't until after her passing that he realized the game needed to be a way to preserve his memories of her. In the final version, the protagonist repeatedly cares for the grandmother dozens of times before she peacefully passes away, and touching old objects reveals photos of her daily life.

After finishing the game, Zhou designed the cartridge cover with a photo of himself and his grandmother. "I've sealed my sorrow and my memories of her into this game," he said.

Zhou, a graduate of the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts and Pratt Institute in the United States, originally studied traditional art but later shifted to game creation. He believes that games offer stronger interactivity and narrative power, making them a better medium for expressing emotions and ideas. By 2024, he had created over 110 GameBoy games, as a way to express his feelings and document his life.

Currently, the game "Grandma" is only available in English, but Zhou plans to release a Chinese version and hopes to port it to mobile and PC platforms to reach more audiences.

Source: Lingnan on the Cloud

中国90后艺术家将和奶奶最后的相处时光制成游戏

2024年3月，自由艺术家周一忱的奶奶不慎摔倒，31岁的他搬去与奶奶同住。祖孙两人度过了平淡却温馨的半年时光，直到奶奶在睡梦中去世。为了纪念这段珍贵的回忆，周一忱制作了一款GameBoy游戏，重现了他与奶奶的最后相处时光。

“就像一张电影海报或专辑封面会触动人的情感一样，我看到这张游戏卡带，就会想起陪伴奶奶的日子。”周一忱将游戏发布在社交平台后，许多网友被他的创意感动。

周一忱幼年由爷爷奶奶照顾至三岁，后虽与父母生活，但节假日常探望奶奶。在他记忆中，奶奶总是默默操劳，微笑着看儿孙满堂。2024年3月，奶奶摔倒后行动不便，周一忱主动承担照料之责，每日买早餐、抹药、陪散步。平淡生活中，他常买薯片和汽水逗奶奶开心，“她说这些很甜、很刺激”。

2024年7月，奶奶身体日渐衰弱，周一忱萌生制作游戏的念头。他迅速完成80%内容，却始终感觉缺失关键部分。直到奶奶去世，他才明白游戏需要的是思念的寄托。最终，他设计主角重复照顾奶奶数十次后，老人乘仙鹤离去；触碰旧物时，可浮现奶奶的日常照片。

游戏完成后，周一忱用自己和奶奶的合照制作了卡带封面。“我把自己悲伤的情绪和对奶奶的思念都封存在这款游戏中。”他说。

周一忱毕业于湖北美术学院和美国普瑞特艺术学院，原本学习传统艺术，后转向游戏创作。他认为游戏具有更强的互动性和叙事性，能更好地表达情感和思想。截至2024年，他已制作了110多款GameBoy游戏，用游戏抒发情绪、记录生活。

《奶奶》目前只有英文版，周一忱计划制作中文版，并希望将其移植到移动端和PC端，让更多人体验。

文｜羊城晚报记者 王隽杰 
图｜受访者提供
译｜赵凡
英文审校｜王枥焓