Jonathan Coryn

Following its deliberations on Wednesday, April 9, the Hodler Prize Committee is pleased and proud to announce that the Hodler Prize 002 has been awarded in equal shares to Alice Notley for her poetry memoir "Being Reflected Upon" and to Jonathan Coryn for his video game “Player Non Player”. Two impressive texts in terms of narrative innovation, by two authors whose different means of expression embody creative correspondences across categories and generations. Two poems of rupture for the same emotion.

‘Explore a melancholic island with brutalist structures where you'll ​encounter ​4 tormented characters. ​Gradually understand their desires ​through a surprising puzzle/dating sim gameplay by caressing or holding the characters. ​Will they trust you enough to ask you one last thing? Also find the island’s secrets, play with the sound structures or walk around and listen to the musical landscapes.

 Player Non Player is a queer game created by Jonathan Coryn that explores mature themes, such as grief, through the lens of intimacy, including sexual and gender identity, friendship and love. ​Released alongside Agar Agar's new album of the same name, the video game shares a unified lore, with the music intricately tied to the game's narrative. Notably, the Trouble music clip serves as a prequel to the events depicted in the game.’ Jonathan Coryn

Jonathan Coryn is an artist and video game creator based in Paris, France. After studying game design at the Royal Academy of Denmark, he received his master's degree from the school of Fine Arts in Paris/Cergy.

 Usually working as a solo developer, his technical and artistic skills were highlighted in his game, Player Non Player, which won the first prize at the Amaze festival in 2023.

With the desire to create meaningful ludonarrative and playful experiences, he stages troubled and ragdoll-like bodies in desolate, melancholic settings. Rooted in sensitivity and intimacy, these characters are designed as game mechanics that underscore themes of grief, denial, love, sexual and gender identity.
Title: Player Non Player
Author: Jonathan Coryn
Medium: Game
Publisher: Self-Published
Selected by Alice Bucknell