SHTDN

SH-TDN (shutdown) is a game developed by Umami Mazu. It follows the lives of a virus (Agape) and an antivirus (Goyou) as they explore the PC they're stuck in since the internet has been cut.

SHTDN was developed in RPGmaker. It was released on Dec 27, 2021 and was originally released in Japanese. It was later translated to English by @beefbulgogi on twitter, and is available in Brazilian Portuguese (here), Korean (here) and Russian (here). It is currently only downloadable on Windows. A list of the materials used to create the game can be found here.

## Plot (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

The game begins with Goyou, enjoying their time alone on the pc, until they are greeted by Agape. Goyou is displeased, and disposes of one of Agape's shortcuts (as Agape is a computer virus, it has an unlimited amount of duplicates stemming from the source), claiming that today will be the day they find and eliminate Agape's source. Agape teases them, telling them that there are too many files to sort through, and that they should start from the recycle bin. Goyou begins searching the PC's files and photos, with Agape following closely behind them.

As they enter, Agape remarks on how disorganized the PC is, and how there are lot of photos lying around there. Goyou tells it that since they have never connected to the internet, this is entirely normal to them as it is all Goyou has ever known. They continue through the files. The next file they see is a photo of a dystopian looking city, drowned in a large bed of water. Goyou asks if the water is water. Agape teases them lightheartedly, and confirms that it is. Agape wonders if they could become like water. Goyou says that they could become similar to it, but never become water. Goyou wonders what it would be like to be water. Agape hesitates, and tells Goyou that if they became water, things would be boring, and that it wouldn't want that. They continue through the PC, having similar mundane chats in each file.

A few files in, they reach an image where everything is desolate, other than a landed missile that is found in the middle of the photo. Goyou asks what it is, and Agape explains that it is a weapon big enough to eliminate entire houses and cities. They both ponder upon how one thing could cause such destruction, and eventually decide that it must be a mystery.

In a later file that seems to resemble the desktop, there are many disorganized files attached. The most recent files, a few years ago in-game, are titled 'family photo.png', 'evacuation sites.png', 'war related news' (a folder) and 'i love you.png'. Goyou continues through the files like these are irrelevant, but as Goyou leaves this file, the screen shows Agape turning back to look at these and saying nothing.

After this minor cutscene, Agape begins trying to dissuade Goyou from wanting to see the internet so much. In the next room, for example, Goyou makes a remark about how if they were connected to the internet, they would be able to search for the answers to their questions. Agape nihilistically tells them that the internet isn't as great of a place as they think it is and tells them about how it no longer feels any excitement about learning new things because the internet has answers to every question it once had. Goyou says they would like to try installing their feelings of happiness into Agape. Goyou continues down this line of thought, and Agape is silent.

Later, the two arrive at a file of a museum. Agape runs off ahead telling Goyou to follow it, and Goyou trails behind, looking at the exhibits. When they finally catch Agape, it is staring at a photo of a family - a mother, a father and a baby. Agape, entranced by the photo, talks about how a child is considered to be the fruit of human love by many and briefly explains the process of procreation to Goyou. It tells Goyou that it wants to know what love is - the love humans talk about, and the love it was named after. It wants to feel it. Goyou asks what it means, and Agape says that they should try mixing their programs and that then, maybe, a new child could be born. It says that the two of them can only ever change preexisting things into other things, and that they couldn't even fathom a picture that isn't on the PC they're in. Agape tells Goyou that they're just repeating the same process, over and over again (reminiscent of when, a few files ago, Agape said that sometimes it wants to let Goyou find its true form and give up because everything feels pointless) and that it just wants to create something new. Goyou tells it that that's impossible, and that if they were to combine their coding, it'd just be a string of characters. Agape says it understands and the conversation ends.

Later, Goyou brings this up again, and wonders if their child would die instantly if they were to successfully combine their codes, and about what the owner would think when they return to the pc. Agape says that it doesn't think the owner will be returning, but when Goyou asks if there's a reason behind its hypothesis, it hesitates and says no. Agape then tells Goyou that they've probably just abandoned this PC for a bigger, newer one, and that they've probably forgotten about it because they didn't even think to turn on sleep mode. Goyou says that they hope the owner will return someday.

The final photo is one of a family - two adults and one child. Agape tells Goyou that the owner is probably offline because they're busy with their child. Goyou seems happy. This is the final file on the PC, and since they still have not found Agape's true form, Goyou thinks they should try the recycle bin. When they say this, Agape visibly clams up, and Goyou takes that as an invitation to search there.

Once they get in, Goyou notices a file they haven't yet checked hidden there. Goyou starts walking through the file, but before they reach the end, Agape stops them. Agape asks if they're sure that this is what they want to do, and tells them that once they do this, they won't have a job anymore, because the PC will be empty. Goyou affirms that this is what they want to do. Agape tells to go on, and that whatever happens happens.

### ENDING 1

In ending 1, Goyou ignores Agape's questions, and walks straight to find its main body, which is much larger than its shortcuts. Goyou tells it that today is the day they're going to eliminate Agape. Agape laughs and picks them up, saying that it's going to get revenge for all the times Goyou removed its shortcuts. Just as it's about to consume Goyou, Agape hesitates and says that if it were to do that, this Goyou would cease to exist, and that it doesn't want that. However, if it were to let Goyou kill it, Goyou would be left alone on the PC, with nothing to do except wait for its eventual shutdown. It decides that Goyou probably wouldn't even notice the loneliness and the pain of having no purpose, since Agape never taught them about those things. It smiles, and says goodbye to Goyou. Goyou says goodbye. The screen is black.

When the screen turns on again, Goyou chatters to themself about how it's a peaceful day on the PC again, since Agape's gone. They decide to continue to do the rounds anyway, since it's their job. As they go through the PC, they still ask Agape questions, despite knowing that they will get no answer. When they return to where Agape's true form was, they wonder if the way it was lying was how humans sleep. Goyou tries to do the same. They wonder why Agape let them go, and why it seemed to prefer death to having a job or a goal. They say "I'm sure there's something you didn't teach me. Something important inside of me, that I don't understand. A feeling I'll never understand. ... If I know it's name I can grasp it. Since I have no means of learning, I'll never understand what this is. I want to know. What is this?" They dream about going to another PC and finding Agape to teach them. Their final thought is "Agape...".

### ENDING 2

In ending 2, once it talks to them, Goyou returns to Agape. Goyou says they remembered that they still hadn't asked about the picture they're in. Agape explains that it's ruins, not unlike the PC they're in - forgotten. Agape says that before the PC shuts down, it wanted to make a last ditch effort to change it since there's neither a beginning nor an end approaching. It warns Goyou that if they approach, things might not go as expected, but Goyou persists on. Once they encounter Agape's true form, the conversation is the same as in ending 1, up until Agape decides to let Goyou kill it. Agape apologizes, and says goodbye to Goyou. The screen glitches.

Text appears saying the PC requires a restart. Once the restart is complete, a being appears, dressed in various shades of gray, with a combination of Agape and Goyou's clothing and accessories. More versions of the being begin to appear, only for it to wipe them out. It says "Protect the PC? Destroy the PC? I don't know... I don't know. Someone... tell me... how to stop us. What are we supposed to do? Why?" The game ends as countless versions of this being appear and are destroyed. The credits appear as glitches, and the final text seen on screen says that the PC needs to be repaired.

### ENDING 3

Ending 3 is initially identical to ending 2. However, after the restart, both Goyou and Agape appear. Goyou is unconscious. Agape wonders what happened and why nothing's changed. However, when it realizes Goyou wasn't restored, Agape begins to panic and eventually breaks down. It wonders why it did this, and says that if it was going to fail, it would have rather been killed by Goyou. It says that among all the possible options, the thing Agape would hate the most is if this Goyou died. It begs Goyou to come back, telling them that it won't ask for things to change anymore, or wish for a sense of self, and that it'll let Goyou kill it. It pleads for Goyou to open their eyes. At this, Goyou slowly does.

Goyou asks what the tears on Agape's face are. Agape doesn't know. It tells Goyou that when they weren't restored, it hurt, and that it doesn't want to lose them. It says it doesn't want Goyou to die, and it doesn't want to have to leave flower pngs at their grave, because if they're not around, there's no point. Agape apologizes for trying to combine their codes, and gives Goyou the opportunity to kill it once and for all. Goyou, however, instead says that they understand the feeling Agape's talking about. They say that although it's their duty to protect the PC's peace, without Agape, they'd be lonely, and that they don't want it to die. They ask Agape to teach them more about the human world, and the things in pictures, the feeling they cannot understand, and about Agape itself. They ask if the feeling is anger, or fun, and Agape laughs and says it doesn't know, but that it'll teach them everything. Goyou agrees.

The screen cuts to the desktop. Goyou says that the desktop is peaceful today to, and when Agape doesn't immediately interrupt, they begin to call for it. When it still doesn't respond, they look for it where its true form once resided. When they find Agape sleeping there, they hit it awake, hiding their relief. Agape complains that it'll really disappear if Goyou hits it too much, and that they ask so many questions it needs a break. Goyou says "You said you'd teach me.", and Agape sighs, although they're smiling already. Agape says that it's sure the world will end before Goyou runs out of questions, so they should keep talking together right until the PC breaks down. Goyou smiles and agrees, and they walk off together.

## Official Merchandise

 On their Booth, Umami Mazu sells merchandise for their games and novels. The following products are the entirety of the official SHTDN merchandise.

SHTDN acrylic keychains

A book of the art used in SHTDN

SHTDN t-shirts

Stickers from multiple games, including SHTDN

## Trivia

 Umami Mazu, in a post on their pixiv, stated that SHTDN was created with the thought "If a being with no sense of love was to express love, what form would it take?" in mind. This post also says that the creator often overexplains things in their games to make sure their intention reaches the players, but that they refrained from doing that with SHTDN. SHTDN is, in their words, a representation of how Umami Mazu thinks 'I love you'.