The first article of the year I want to talk about is the science-fiction masterpiece created by Éric Chahi: Another World.

On New Year’s Eve, during a family dinner, I went back to my old bedroom where I keep my vintage video games, and there I rediscovered the original box, complete with its old floppy disks — a timeless milestone in gaming history. I had always kept the handwritten access codes that allowed you to unlock and reach the next levels.

The introduction was one of the most beautiful ever seen in those early 1990s: a scientist working on a particle accelerator is suddenly catapulted into an alien world. Just a few seconds are enough to plunge the player into a long, mysterious journey. Surviving the dangers of the alien fauna was no easy task, and escaping capture thanks to a native ally met along the way was truly gripping.

This will be an article I’ll return to often throughout the year, capturing moments and sequences that deeply moved me. But today I want to focus on this beautiful box, its floppy disks, and the lingering regret of a true sequel that was never made.

A title later converted—by no coincidence—to future consoles, Another World remains above all a game that must be experienced by science-fiction lovers, and why not, even by those who don’t usually love the genre.