The Quiet Things Feel Silenced
In an era where it’s already difficult for independent games to gain visibility, a major showcase like the BAFTA Awards represented a crucial opportunity for The Quiet Things. The removal of the trailer, which was to announce the game’s release date, at such a critical moment, has transformed the situation from a simple schedule change into a broader discussion. Now, the focus isn’t just on the removal of a trailer, but on how the industry approaches games dealing with sensitive themes.
The Quiet Things Trailer Decision Sparks Controversy
Alyx Jones, founder of Silver Script Games, says she felt “silenced” after the trailer for The Quiet Things was removed from the BAFTA Game Awards screening at the last minute. The game’s focus on a young girl’s adolescence and the heavy emotional experiences that unfold around it is cited as the central reason for the decision. BAFTA, however, states that the trailer contained themes that could be triggering for some viewers and was therefore withdrawn from the screening.
The most striking point in Jones’s statements is the extremely late notification of this decision. According to him, he learned the trailer had been removed while on his way to the nominees event. Furthermore, the team had previously made changes to the trailer based on feedback from BAFTA, revising some scenes. Despite this, the complete removal of the trailer has naturally caused significant resentment on the developer’s part.
This is one of the main reasons the controversy has escalated. Because Jones says they were ready to add warnings or make new adjustments, and even offered to do so quickly. However, the lack of progress in this process has led to criticism not only of the content sensitivity but also of the communication style. The fact that BAFTA emphasized its support for games dealing with difficult and sensitive topics on the same night created a separate sense of contradiction on the developer’s side.
Ultimately, The Quiet Things touches on a much larger issue than just a trailer controversy. The fact that a game dealing with heavy themes such as trauma, abuse, survival, and finding one’s voice feels pushed into the background precisely for this reason creates a powerful irony. Jones’s decision to release the trailer to the public on his own is therefore not just a sharing of information, but also a clear response saying, “You decide.”
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