Absentia is a virtual reality experience designed with the theme “Ritual”. This was my third game jam and my first time programming for one. In absentia, you care for plants by collecting and transporting water from a pond. Over the course of several minutes, the plants will either grow or wither depending on how much water they’ve received each day. Rather than treating Absentia like a traditional game, we wanted to make something meditative, providing the player with isolation, a serene atmosphere, and a simple task that doesn’t require too much thought as a way of creating a satisfying flow and an opportunity for reflection.