Reviews by Kinetic Mouse Car

This appears to be a somewhat autobiographical story about a game designer creating a cover letter for a job interview. It is a familiar concept, but the author makes it personal by capturing the struggles that come with trying to create a flawless cover letter to wow your potential employers. The gameplay is short but shows off creative visuals that take the experience to another level.

Now, my understanding is that a CV and a cover letter are two different, though similar, documents prepared in an application. The CV gives the nuts and bolts of one’s skill set and experience whereas a cover letter is a bit more personal. It focuses on providing a statement on the applicant’s intent and motivation for applying. Technically, the game only has the player write a cover letter.

Gameplay
First the gameplay has the player “research” the company that they are applying for: GameHouse. This information is then used to construct a draft that the player edits by clicking on links that cycle through responses. The game really captures the anxiety of trying to sound professional without bragging or trying to impress with your people skills without coming off as fakey.

The links cycle through options that consist of the protagonist fumbling with the writing. This shines a light into the protagonist’s thought process of writing which is a strength in this game since it makes it more relatable. However, the gameplay does not give the player the flexibility to choose the tone or quality of the finished letter. As you (Spoiler - click to show) cycle through each link the quality of the writing may improve until it suddenly cycles back to square one. No matter what you do the cover letter never feels finished. The game has the player manage the protagonist’s scattered thoughts but stops short of allowing the player to build from key ideas, such as the (Spoiler - click to show) protagonist’s experience with working internationally. Being able to explore these experiences and ambitions would have made a different in the gameplay.

Story
The basic story is about the protagonist’s desire to work at GameHouse. The downside is that (Spoiler - click to show) there is no real ending. You submit the statement and that is it. No endings that judge your success or final reflections from the protagonist. The game does not feel incomplete, just that it could have had more of a resolution.

Visuals
I was impressed by the visual design. Simple but incredibly creative. It is identical to the screen that you see when using a word document in Google Drive. Same heading and everything. In fact, the author used a screenshot and designed the gameplay so that the text occurs in the document space. The top of the screen even says, "I've Attached My CV And Cover Letter - a game by Jaime Monedero March" right where the title goes when you name the file. This was clever because it feels like you actually are editing a real document.

When the game began, I had to check twice because for a moment I thought I clicked on the wrong link. There is nothing in this game that says “made with Twine,” but IFDB assured me that I was playing a Twine game. The text links are underlined with the type of red squiggles that you would normally see when you misspell something. Obviously, there is no typing in this game, but this added visual effect made it more convincing.

Final thoughts
If the game used featureless visual effects, such as sticking to black text against a white screen it would not have scored as well. As you can tell from this review, I was smitten with its replica of a word processor’s appearance. That alone does not make a game, but it was effective enough to pull everything together. It is still interactive in the sense that the player edits the text, and the writing was humorous and relatable. I think players will enjoy this game. Maybe not for the richness of the game’s content but for its creativity and candidness.

It is the midst of an ongoing zombie apocalypse. Night has fallen and your best option for shelter is a small hotel, perhaps one with resources that you can salvage. But surely it is not empty. You know that everyone you expect to encounter will either be long dead or undead.

Gameplay
After a brief intro the game begins on the second-floor hallway of the hotel, right outside of Rooms 207 and 208. The objective is to quietly go from room-to-room, scavenging for items that will ensure your survival once you leave.

Each room is organized as a grid within which the player shuffles around with a flashlight. Imagine being at the top of the ceiling in a dark room while pointing a medium-powered flashlight at the floor so that a few feet of floor is illuminated. That is what the gameplay looks like. What makes this unique is that the game never says, “you see a coatrack and window.” Instead, objects are represented by single letters such as “C” for coatrack or “W” for window. If someone opened a pack of magnetic letter magnets and spilled them across the floor that would describe how they look in the game.

When you click on a letter, a popup box appears with more information. Within it are links to learn more about the object or to take it and add it to your inventory. The player begins with an empty backpack at the start of the game with a status of 0%. Each time an item is added the percentage increases. If this exceeds 97% the game requires that you lighten the load. To resolve this the player can open their backpack to drop* items. When they are finished with a room they return to the hallway. The game (Spoiler - click to show) ends when you visit Room 202. If you try to enter this room right away the game will say that you need to visit the other rooms first, but in truth all you need is to step into Room 201 for this requirement to be satisfied.

At first the game gives the impression of having puzzles. There are items in every room just waiting for the player to snatch up, and the management of items in the backpack adds a fun challenge. However, (Spoiler - click to show) you do not need a single thing to complete the game. While the protagonist’s identity as an apocalypse survivor provides a reason for ransacking the place, none of the items that you collect have any application. I did not realize this during my first playthrough and I had a great time. Afterwards, however, I was surprised that the game turned out to be mostly puzzle-less. Nonetheless, the game is still worth replaying for its visual effects and atmosphere. Even if objects seem like mere props, the writing and setting carry it through.

Story
There is no backstory about the protagonist or the overarching zombie apocalypse which the game gets away with. Normally I like it when games include background information that explains why their world is in an apocalyptic state, but this game manages to fit into the vaguely-described-zombie-apocalypse trope where you assume it builds from the same mold: an outbreak occurred, zombies attacked, and daily life is now a matter of survival. While I certainly would not have minded if this game were built on an elaborate backstory, it does not seem to be lacking without it. As a zombie piece I enjoyed it.

The final (Spoiler - click to show) segment of gameplay is effectively thrilling and the highlight of the story. When you step into Room 202 there is nothing to click on but a shoe rack. The popup box says,

No shoes by the door. An acrid smell stings through the staleness of the room.

You barely have enough time to read this when the text changes to:

Something in the room just moved.

Then a zombie ambushes you. These pauses were incredibly effective in creating a sense of horror. Furthermore, the game (Spoiler - click to show) implements a mild jump-scare of angry, quivering descriptions of the zombie as it lunges at you. There are no pictures, just text, but it effectively adds an element of surprise.

The only real criticism I have about the game’s story is that (Spoiler - click to show) there is only one ending and that the gameplay choices have no sway over it. During this final encounter with the zombie a link appears telling the player to “RUN!” I wondered if stalling would result in being eaten but there was no difference. I even deliberately weighed my backpack down to see if that would slow the protagonist down, but that had no effect either. No matter what you do it seems like you always escape the hotel and win the game. Then again, perhaps that is not such a bad thing. I wonder how other players will feel.

Characters
While the game does not say so outright it is suggested that the protagonist is male when the player goes digging through the clothes in the dressers and coatracks in each room. In every other aspect the protagonist is neutral in description and identity.

This is not a zombie hunter game or one with combat. Instead, most of the content on zombies is suggestive. For instance, (Spoiler - click to show) if you try to open Room 205 you will hear a zombie try to break the door down. Even though you never see the zombie from the room the atmosphere and writing convey the horror in this scene. The only time (Spoiler - click to show) you see a zombie is near the end of the game. Otherwise, the player only encounters corpses during the gameplay (speaking of which, be prepared for such things).

Visuals
The visual effects make The Second Floor a bit of a gem because it shows how special effects can be used in a Twine game to tell a story. For this game these effects are notably used to establish setting. Shapes, patterns, colours, and timed pauses work together to portray a grungy and powerless hotel during a zombie apocalypse.

For me the most memorable visual element in this game is the hallway: simple and effective at establishing the setting as a hotel. The hallway consists of a strip of bloodstained carpet running vertically across the screen. On each left and right side is a door that allows access into a room, and at the top and bottom of the screen are arrows that lead to other sections of hallway.

Typically, the game’s screen is black, but the author adds more details for the hotel rooms. There is a thick boarder that creates the illusion of a room’s perimeter. At the bottom of the screen is a backpack icon that keeps track of the player’s inventory percentage levels.

The floorspace is explored in sections with arrows that the player uses to move through the room. Your location is marked with a faint box-shaped yellow that replicates the beam of a flashlight. This block of light provides only a few feet of visibility which really makes it feel as if the protagonist is exploring a room with nothing but a flashlight to guide them. Paired with the player’s freedom to roam around the space, these special effects make everything feel more immersive.

Final thoughts
Most zombie games that I have played are parser games, but this Twine format brings something new to the table. It you like zombie games in general then I highly recommend The Second Floor. It may also be of interest if you are seeking out gameplay where scavenging is a central feature. It is also a great example of a Twine game with free range of movement, allowing the player to navigate the game’s world like a parser game. On top of that it has great atmosphere and successfully incorporates horror elements, especially with its (Spoiler - click to show) text version of a (sort of) jump-scare. I can see myself returning to this game in the future.

Also: If you enjoyed this game, consider playing my father's long, long legs. It is also made with Twine and has similar horror vibes. Both games share the visual technique of navigating a space with a flashlight but successfully use this concept in a unique way that sets each game apart.

*Rather than (Spoiler - click to show) dropping the food it would be nice if the protagonist could at least eat some off it. This is the zombie apocalypse, after all. Wasting food probably is not the best idea.

You are strolling along the countryside with the intention of finding a horsehair extension. Apparently, horsehair extensions are made from hair collected from horses and processed into hair pieces that can be worn by both humans and horses. In this game, you looking to acquire one for a horse.

Gameplay
The game begins with the protagonist strolling across a field when they see the words “HORSE HAIR EXTENSION” scrawled across a wall. This turns out to be a trail of messages leading the player towards the possibility of finding an extension. The player passes a farmhouse and reaches a branching road. Since the game ends when the player takes the first path down the road the other paths are the focus of the gameplay.

One of the roads leads (Spoiler - click to show) to a ditch with a hole that runs to a sewage tunnel. Inside the tunnel is a merchant who sells extensions for $5. There are two ways to acquire $5 which adds a little variety to the gameplay. Since the merchant will only sell one extension per customer the protagonist uses the extra $5 to buy ice cream at the end of the game.

Characters
The gameplay is mostly NPC-less. There are no defining characteristics about the protagonist, they are neutral. There are (Spoiler - click to show) two other characters. The first is a horse that you find on the second path at the branching road. If you search the bush a horse will appear and follow you for the rest of the game. This part is optional but influences the ending. The second character is the mysterious shadowy merchant who sells horsehair extensions in the sewer tunnel.

Story
The first part of the game has an ominous atmosphere. There are messages about horsehair extensions in your surroundings. When you (Spoiler - click to show) enter the farmhouse the game says,

You find the inside of the ruined farmhouse rather melancholic. The space appears to be completely devoid of horses, large or otherwise.

This is deeply disturbing to you.

Leave this place

This was effective in making me wonder about the backstory, especially about the farmhouse. The horses are gone but someone has engraved brief messages about horses on the surroundings, almost like a trail. I was eager for an answer on why the messages were left behind. It is eerie and makes you anticipate when you reach the end of this trail of odd messages. But the (Spoiler - click to show) messages only lead to the branching road and then they stop without any further explanation. The farmhouse too is never revisited, except for the clutter outside.

We also never learn why the protagonist needs a horsehair extension. It seems like the protagonist’s goal is simply to acquire a horsehair extension and then attach it to a horse, but the implementation of this goal is flimsy. If the player (Spoiler - click to show) takes the first road without finding an extension the game just ends. All it says is that you walk until you lose track of the road that you came from. Then you forget about horsehair extensions altogether. Providing some exposition would have sculpted the story a bit more for the player. No matter what, there are no comments about the protagonist’s reason for seeking out a horsehair extension in the first place. And even the outcome of finding an extension is lackluster. The overall effect is that it feels like random gameplay.

The endings are nothing spectacular but there are multiple ones, which adds some replay value. I can recall (Spoiler - click to show) 8 ending variations. The optimal ending is (Spoiler - click to show) to buy a horsehair extension, clip the extension onto the horse, and then buy ice cream.

Visuals
The game's strength is its simple background graphics. Set against a light grey background are basic sketches of nature in what reminds me of a thin black sharpie marker. The wheat field design was my favorite because it conveyed a basic yet polished look. When I first saw a screenshot of the game in its cover art, I was compelled to play it. The gameplay with the (Spoiler - click to show) underground merchant deviates from this design. These scenes have a black screen with a white spiral pattern. The only downside is that the font, which is different from the rest of the game, is a bit hard to read. Otherwise, it captures a "down the rabbit hole" feeling that was appropriate for the setting.

Final thoughts
The game has some interesting ideas but feels unfocused without providing any insight on the protagonist's objective of finding a horsehair extension. I recommend this game if you like short and surreal Twine games that rely on atmosphere rather than story content. You may also like it if you are a fan of horses. The graphics are nice to look at and I can see this being a good potential "lunch break length" game.

Review title: A humorous Twine take on the story of Orpheus and Eurydice
This game is a fanciful retelling of the Greek story of Orpheus and Eurydice where you play as Orpheus in his quest to revive Eurydice. The game takes about 25-30 minutes to play, and its gameplay features some replay value.

Background
Here is some background context for this game. Some may not consider these as spoilers, but I will still tag key plot points. In Greek mythology a man named Orpheus loses Eurydice, his wife, when she is bitten by a snake. Orpheus decides to go to the Underworld to bring her back. He is extremely skilled at the lyre and (Spoiler - click to show) plays such a bittersweet song about Eurydice's death that even Hades and Persephone, gods of the Underworld, agree to give him a second chance. They allow Orpheus to lead Eurydice out of the Underworld with the condition that he does not look back until they both reach the realm of the living. Along the way, however, he grows suspicious because he cannot hear the footsteps of anyone behind him. He turns, only to see his wife, and loses her a second time. But upon his death Orpheus is reunited with Eurydice once again.

As is the case with most Greek mythology there are variations in a story, but the story of Eurydice and Orpheus always seems to share the same theme: that (Spoiler - click to show) love can endure in life and death even if two individuals reside in separate realms. Orpheus: A Tragicomedy in Six Parts sticks (mostly) to this storyline but adds a comedic twist.

Gameplay
As explained in the title the game is broken into six acts, all of which are evenly paced. The gameplay begins after Eurydice has died. After moping around Orpheus decides to go to the Underworld.

Whenever I read about Greek mythology there seems to be a process for reaching the Underworld. Usually, you are required to take a boat across a sea before reaching the gates of the Underworld. In this game (Spoiler - click to show) the player can throw caution and planning to the wind. They travel to the Underworld on their terms, completely contradicting the original story in a humorous and creative way. The player can even try to kill off Orpheus, but the game always has some humorous way to keep this from happening. No matter what, he never wavers from his goal.

While the gameplay in the Underworld is (Spoiler - click to show) influenced by your previous choices the game still presents you with three characters, one of which you can ask for help. You can choose either Heracles, Achilles, or Sisyphus. Each character brings unique dialog which adds replay value.

The game may not be accurate from a historical standpoint but that is the main defining feature in Orpheus: A Tragicomedy in Six Parts. It is a humorous and outlandish take on a traditional story while also sticking with familiar characters and key plot points.

Story
The writing is hilarious. My favorite part is when (Spoiler - click to show) Orpheus tries to talk to Persephone and Hades only for them to act as if the encounter is nothing more than someone trying to make an appointment at the hair salon.

Hades grabs a dayplanner off his sidetable and starts pawing through it. "Yes... this afternoon. Though it looks like we're double-booked. Unless..." Hades starts scribbling something down in his dayplanner, apparently forgetting that you're there.

Who would have thought that Hades, God of the Underworld, would use a planner to manage his kingdom? There are multiple dialog options that let you choose the tone of the conversation, but the (Spoiler - click to show) outcome remains the same. Hades and Persephone will initially turn Orpheus away until he whips out his lyre and proceeds to wow them with his music. This is also the case in the original story.

The game captures Orpheus' uncertainty as the player (Spoiler - click to show) clicks on the "Don't look back" command. But no longer how long the player clicks on the button they do not reach the exit of the Underworld. They only have one other option: "Look back.” Orpheus loses Eurydice and the player is presented with two choices that determine the ending.

The player can choose to (Spoiler - click to show) kill themselves or keep living without Eurydice. Choosing to continue living leads to the happy ending because when Orpheus does die, he is reunited with Eurydice in a joyful manner. If the player chooses for Orpheus to kill himself, he is reunited with Eurydice but in less-than-ideal conditions where loneliness pervades.

Visuals
I love the stylizing of this game. It uses a black background with mustard yellow text and accents. Sometimes characters will also use their own font. The top and bottom of the screen have a basic maze-like appearance and the game occasionally includes graphics of the characters. Some are portrayed in mustard yellow against the black screen while others are more ornate. These visuals were one of the best parts of the game and created a polished look.

Links that are tan and underlined result in popup boxes containing a few verses that the protagonist players. I am pretty sure that they are NOT actual verses from real-life texts but instead a simplified version with a joking undertone. I felt that these boxes added a little more interactivity and a splash of humor. The game also has links that lead to YouTube videos some music mentioned in the game. My only complaint was that these links are dark blue and difficult to read against the black screen.

Final thoughts
This is a great game if you are hungry for something with Greek mythology, especially one that strives to be a funny retelling rather than going for historical accuracy. It is fairly short game and has simple yet detailed visuals.

Another game I recommend from IFDB is called Eurydice by an anonymous author. It is a parser game uses a modern and much more somber take on the classic story. It is one of my favorite games and is a nice way of demonstrating how different authors can make a unique game based on the same concept.

Star Hunter begins with "You wake up, ready to make yourself incredibly rich in the forgotten ruins of the Tartuest sector." Sounds like fun. Unfortunately, it is not a particularly fun game. So many rooms. Large locations that are mostly empty and devoid of any story content.

There are only a few cases where the exciting feeling of plundering abandoned alien worlds does emerge, briefly. The author has the right idea, but the implementation is lacking. The walkthrough will make your head spin. If you are going to attempt this game, I recommend that you use it.

Gameplay
You have a small personal spaceship called Atlantis, just large enough for you and the treasures you uncover. A central gameplay mechanic is the management of navigation tapes and transit bubble chips for travelling. Navigation tapes allow your ship to travel to other planets whereas chips enable you to beam down (Spoiler - click to show) (bring your gizmo with you to avoid an unwinnable state) to the surface.

The game has a Robot Bazaar where you trade items with androids. This sounds like a cool concept except that these are the stingiest androids you will ever find. They want chunks of your inventory for most items, and it is extremely difficult to know which items you will need later down the road. Many of the items on sale are red herrings. Things that look like they would be helpful only end up being a waste of precious tradeable items.

There is a pattern of going to a planet to find valuables and returning to the Bazaar to trade those valuables for other items and then going to another planet to repeat the process. After a while it became tedious. If you are not using the walkthrough I recommend saving whenever trading your items.

When it comes to scavenging objects are often found in the most random of locations such as a (Spoiler - click to show) milkshake in the middle of a transit alcove at the Bazaar. They have little context for their placement. I can understand finding a (Spoiler - click to show) discarded spoon in a campsite but a navigation tape conveniently on the ground or a chip in a deep mine shaft? It seems too random and happens throughout the game.

One last note on gameplay: When the player tries to dig deeper and go off the beaten path the game totally leaves them to fend for themself. For example, the (Spoiler - click to show) purple barrier in the bazaar that is said to be off limits but there is a Saxon disc being sold by the black android. So of course, I tried buy it hoping to find something interesting. This is what happened:

Saxon's transit alcove
You are standing in a bare and cramped chamber. Were you expecting something more exciting after all the trouble to get inside?
(yes, yes I was)

I should have known better that the game would not offer anything. Naturally, this also meant that I was in an unwinnable state since I had to sell most of my stuff to get the disc.

Setting
Some places are more engaging than others. Lack of a detail-heavy narrative can give the player an opportunity to just explore and experiment with their environment. Unfortunately, there is usually little to interact with. These are just my thoughts on each of the locations in case you want to compare your impressions with them. This whole area is one big spoiler so I will just put it all under a spoiler tag. Besides the Android Bazaar there are six other locations.
(Spoiler - click to show)
Survey site: An abandoned archeological site and the first location in the game. Mildly interesting and carries as strong “scavenger vibe.” What ticks me off is that the player must purchase the hatched tape to return to this location. But this is where the game begins how did the protagonist manage to travel to I without having the hatched tape in the first place?

Statue: This was a cool idea but extremely sparse. You wander through a giant statue of a warrior. Sadly, you cannot even examine the city ruins that are visible from the top of the statue or explore any of the details in the abandoned train station under the trap door.

Observatory: This is an abandoned house with an observatory. The rooms tend to have more scenery even if they player is unable to interact with it. The nice thing is that the valuables are easy to find, and at least it shares the same tape (striped) as the Robot Bazaar. All you need is the OBSR chip to get to the surface.

Mine: I do think the game captures the feeling of being deep underground, especially the surprise that the bottom of the shaft is not the true bottom. Here, you look for things that have hardly seen the light of day. This one is also touchy. MAKE SURE YOU SAVE BEFORE YOU EXPLORE THE MINES! There is an absolute trap. The mine shaft platform has a lever for going up and a lever for going down. When you first arrive, it is so easy to pull one of the levers thinking that you are in the platform area that moves. Suddenly the thing will start descending with both levers on it and before you realize it you are in an unwinnable state (you cannot “undo” twice in a row). Same principle goes if you are standing at the bottom of the shaft.

Cube maze: This is one is probably the worst in quality. You arrive outside a giant cubic structure in an alien grassy field, which had cool atmosphere. But when you step into the structure all you find is an endless maze of dark rooms. Without the walkthrough it is impossible to know how many items you need to find. When the player searches the maze, their will likely find a chip and white cube* without much hassle, and then leave (like I did). But there is another precious item, a crystal cat shoe, that is hidden deep in the maze on the third floor. This gets the player worrying if there is anything else that they missed (the walkthrough says no), making the gameplay frustrating. The two redeeming qualities is that one, it is easy to exit the structure (stumbling around usually does it), and two, you only need to visit this location once. *The white cube is interesting but none of the androids seem to know what it is. Perhaps it is a red herring?

Garden world: This was the nicest location with its flowers (smell is implemented for the flowers) and streams. But I have a complaint about the gate. The key to unlock it is found on the planet with the observatory. What is the likelihood that the rusty key happens to unlock the gate in a mystical garden world? The fact that the key was found in an overgrown garden serves as a subtle hint, but it is still hard to believe logistically. You must be careful too. To buy the tower disc you give the black android nearly all your transit chips. If you do this without having found the key in the observatory you end up in an unwinnable state because you can no longer go back to retrieve it. Right when you are almost at the end of the game!

Story
Apparently, the whole point of the game is to find the “fabled lying bear of Deneb.” But the game never mentions it aside from a short sentence (and in the IFDB blurb) if you ask for help. There is no story about the bear or why it is so legendary. It is only after you (Spoiler - click to show) find the bear that the game has anything to say about it. The only indicator of its location is if you ask the blue android about the rainbowed tape. The android will explain that it leads to “Deneb Eta.” But there are no legends or bits of information that fuel the protagonist’s drive to find it. Having some story background would be immensely helpful in focusing the player’s objectives. It makes things less meaningful. There is simply no story tying everything together.

The game ends with (Spoiler - click to show) finding the bear in the tower on the garden planet. But after all that effort put in to find the bear the player is rewarded with a flimsy ending. It reads, "After a moment's consideration, you take the lying bear, which is worth the fortune that you were looking for, and the unfamiliar transporter chip. Will it take you somewhere that you can make the sale??" Game finished. It left me thinking “that’s it?!” We never learn what is so significant about the bear, only that the protagonist is tempted to sell it. The only part I liked was (Spoiler - click to show) that the bear comes with a NEXT chip which hints at a future adventure.

Characters
It was not until after I played the game that I realized that it is almost NPC-less. The only other characters are the androids at the Bazaar. The protagonist has no defining details aside from the fact that they are called “Sir” by the androids and the Atlantis onboard computer.

There is an inkling of a story with the protagonist but the game reveals little. If you examine the (Spoiler - click to show) rusty pipe from the mine the game says, "Something about the pipe tugs at your memory." The description of the cap from the tower in the garden world is "Something about the hat seems very familiar, and you remember wearing it.." A similar thing occurs if you examine the white candy on the statue planet. I actually thought that there was something to be discovered but sadly interacting with the objects did nothing.

Final thoughts
This is a long game. Really long. But I am rating this game with two stars because I did enjoy bits and pieces of it, however small. I think the game would have greatly benefitted from a smaller map with more detail rather than using vast and weakly-implemented locations. On top of that the forgiveness rating is cruel. There are so many ways to make the game unwinnable. This game has all the potential of being an exciting treasure hunt game with a sci-fi setting but instead the gameplay is confusing and leaves the player anxiously wondering if they traded the wrong item or made the game unwinnable.

Was this game ever tested? I found no tester credits. That said, it is not a particularly buggy game. If you enjoy excessively long and technical treasure hunt games this might be an interesting piece to try. I do believe some people might like this game. But if anything, play it with the walkthrough.

Our protagonist is Karen Zhao, a high school junior from Massachusetts. Her full name is Qiuyi (Karen*) Zhao, but she goes by Karen. One day Karen’s mom informs her that she has been signed up for a beauty pageant, with the argument that it would diversify her extracurriculars for college. Karen, knowing that she cannot refuse, has no choice but to add pageant preparation to her long list of responsibilities.

This is a story about being forced to step out of your comfort zone while life adds extra surprises into the mix. As the player you must manage her hectic life and hopefully win the pageant.

*The player can actually choose her English name, but I always found myself sticking to Karen since it is the default. I will refer to her as Karen in this review.

Gameplay
Each week the player has three time slots that they can use on a list of activities including preparing for the pageant or attending Science Olympiad study sessions. There are additional activities on the weekend although those usually deviate from school. This management of responsibilities involves some strategy and provides incentives for replay. The gameplay will have “Introspection” segments where you can check your progress in preparing for the pageant and other goals.

There are no individual (Spoiler - click to show) stand-alone endings. No “Ending 1” or “Ending 2.” Instead, the game assesses the player in different categories such as their performance in Science Olympiad or their final relationship status with one of the characters. The pageant, being the focus of the game, is the closest thing to an overarching ending. You either win it or lose it (although losing it comes in a few different flavors). Based on your performance you may unlock achievements at the end of the game. I liked this format because it feels more flexible in its assessment of the player’s choices.

I only have two technical issues. The first is that if you (Spoiler - click to show) win a slot as co-captain the achievement remains locked on the achievements page. The second issue is that I have been unable to (Spoiler - click to show) win anything other than a bronze medal with Audrey for Science Olympiad. I looked at the source code and saw that it is possible to win a gold metal if you study enough with her. However, even when I spent every study session with her, I would always get bronze. The player has a limited amount of study sessions with Science Olympiad partners. Study sessions are once a week but stop long before the weekend of the competition. This means you need to choose which teammates get more interaction.

Story + Characters
Three main themes kept surfacing: the clash of perspectives between Karen and her parents, the stress of preparing for collage, and her identity as a gay young woman. Anxiety is a major theme. There is anxiety with school and parental expectations, the stress of wondering if you are good enough for your dream collage topped off with being acutely aware that your peers all seem to have the same ambitions as you. But for this review I am going to focus on the other two themes.

Family
Karen was born in China and traveled to the US with her parents. The intersection of parental traditions and her experience as a modern teen are themes that are heavily explored in this game. Sharing family stories is a common activity. (Spoiler - click to show) For Karen, this sometimes cultivates feelings of guilt about the severity of her parents’ upbringing in comparison to her own. Her parents had to worry about things that she takes for granted and yet her struggles are unique to her own experience. Daily life also involves regular interactions with the local Chinese community. Potlucks and get-togethers are typical weekend activities. (Spoiler - click to show) During this the parents chat about their children’s grades and social activities. In these conversations is a traditional sense of what roles children should take. But for young people like Karen, Emily, and Audrey these norms may feel dated. That is not to say that they reject their heritage. One of my favorite parts in the game is when (Spoiler - click to show) Karen and Audrey are encouraged to sing with the adults during Bible study.

There is one loose string that caught my attention. If the player (Spoiler - click to show) interacts with Karen's family enough, they reach an encounter where Karen's father learns that she is gay by noticing the books that she checked out from the library. He tries to talk to her about it, but the situation is so overwhelming that she runs into her room, locking her door. The scene is short and intense enough that you would expect to see a follow up later in the game, but it never happens. Not even at the end of the game where it summarizes her relationship with her family. Given that these topics are a prominent theme in the story I was surprised that the game did not build on the encounter.

Orientation
Karen is gay but hides it from her parents and most people. The game conveys the frustration of having her parents talk casually about marriage and grandchildren when a core aspect of herself completely goes against it. She also interacts with Emily, who is (Spoiler - click to show) transgender and struggles with not being able to be her true self around her parents and their expectations. Emily’s parents know bits and pieces but ultimately, she has not yet come out to them. Emily was one of my favorite characters because she introduces Karen to big questions. Throughout the game Karen and Emily may choose to counsel each other or simply chat. Emily is also one out of three characters that the player can pursue a romantic relationship with.

A defining plot point is if the player makes it to the (Spoiler - click to show) research event called “Emily and the Professor.” Karen participates with research in a lab managed by Professor Chan who is also Emily’s father. In this scene, he brings Emily to watch Karen give a presentation, referring to Emily as his son and asking Karen to teach “him” about science. The player can choose to proceed with the presentation or step down and say that they are not ready. With the latter choice the player chooses not to be a part of Professor Chen’s attempt to force an identity on Emily. Choosing this option is clearly a risk for Karen but it feels empowering. We see the culmination of their friendship in the face of uncomfortable situation. It is an eye-opening moment not just for Karen but for the player as well.

Visuals
The game has a crisp look, almost like the text is written on a piece of stationary or index card. The textbox area is set in a white box sent against a cream background and accented with grey lines and red links. Together it creates a simple but polished appearance. I liked how the game incorporates more than one language. It uses Mandarin characters with italicized translations. This game is made with Dendry which adds some variety to the development systems that I have encountered.

Final thoughts
This was the first game I played by Autumn Chen who is an incredible author. Everything is well-written, concise yet meaningful. Karen is a memorable character who is relatable and unique. Because of this, (Spoiler - click to show) winning the pageant feels more like a victory. I highly recommend the game, especially if you are interested in the slice-of-life genre.

Also: There is also a sequel game called New Year’s Eve, 2019. It features Karen in her senior year. (CORRECTION: Senior year of collage)

You are a health inspector conducting your rounds in the city’s dining establishments. Today on the list is Nikolai’s Bar and Grill, an unsavory restaurant with some not-so-hidden secrets. Will you finish your inspection and leave, or will you dig deeper?

Gameplay
The player jots down citations with their notepad. The immediate goal is to gather enough citations to condemn the restaurant. But simply getting in your car and driving away feels like a premature ending. The game has the player to look beyond their health inspector duties and rewards them, rather gruesomely, for it by advancing the story. And another detail: Even though the game has the time listed at the top of the screen (Spoiler - click to show) time does not seem to matter. You can wait until 2:00 am and nothing changes. I am not sure if there is anything significant about it.

Yes, there is gore but much of the grossness is atmospheric. Things like mold and cockroaches. It focuses on what is needed to tell the story. The content is woven into the protagonist's reason for being at the restaurant. As a health inspector, the protagonist is required to conduct a thorough investigation of the restaurant, giving the player a reason to go digging in the trash where moldy leftovers and (Spoiler - click to show) severed body parts are found. That said, this game has its moments. (Spoiler - click to show) Reaching inside the meat grinder was probably the worst part. Even more so than the vampire-body-part-scavenger game. Play the game a bit to see if it is to your liking.

For a health inspector the protagonist does not seem terribly worried about finding (Spoiler - click to show) human body parts hidden in Nikolai’s restaurant. A (Spoiler - click to show) human foot in the soup cauldron sounds like a notable health code violation, but the protagonist does not bother with jotting it down (although the game does add it to your score). And then there is this: (Spoiler - click to show)

>note corpse
You see nothing noteworthy about the mutilated corpse.

Why is it that you can (Spoiler - click to show) note the mold on the floor in your notebook of health violations but not the corpse in the crypt? This sounds noteworthy. If anyone is interested my record for the lowest sanitation score is (Spoiler - click to show) -119.

My only real criticism is that the game sometimes glosses over gameplay details in the endings. If you (Spoiler - click to show) discover the corpse, finish your inspection, and leave by car the game says, "You enter your car and drive away, satisfied that you have gathered enough observations to have Nikolai's Bar and Grill condemned. And yet, you feel as if there is still some mystery in that building which you left unsolved." Perhaps that corpse you found in the crypt? It does not acknowledge that the protagonist saw the corpse and/or the body parts scattered in the restaurant. Also, if the player (Spoiler - click to show) breaks a window and waits in the crypt for the police to arrive, they still somehow manage to miss the corpse.

Story
The blurb gives the impression that this is a murder mystery about a missing woman. Not exactly. It is not a mystery game where you (Spoiler - click to show) try to uncover the story behind the missing woman by talking to suspects and investigating different leads. There is no “mystery” to solve, at least not in the classic sense. Once you notice the body parts hidden in the restaurant you have pretty good idea of what is going on, and it does not take long to match the missing woman in the newspaper with the corpse in the crypt. But that is what gives the game a unique twist. Rather than solving a murder this game is about weathering a territory dispute between two ruthless vampires. There are tiny little hints that suggest “vampire” even before the player finds Sofia such as the vampire book in Nikolai’s office, the anemic waitress, and Angela and Nikolai’s unease when you ask them about vampires. It does not take long for the story to reveal itself.

I thought it was interesting how the author incorporated some (Spoiler - click to show) vampire lore into the story. According to the (Spoiler - click to show) handy guidebook in Nikolai’s office there are different groups of vampires with unique behaviors, specifically Bratislavan and Transylvanian vampires. Bratislavan vampires are always engaged in territorial disputes, whereas Transylvanian vampires prefer to fly solo. Sofia Kozyar and Nikolai are Bratislavan vampires, and the protagonist gets caught up in their mess. For a while Nikolai was the dominant vampire in the area but that changed as his health deteriorated due to diabetes. This weakened him until Sofia became a serious threat, so he had her abducted and killed. But killing a vampire is easier said than done. As the player knows, all it takes is (Spoiler - click to show) some neutral party to gather up the scattered remains to reform a “dead” vampire.

This has one of the highest replay values for a parser interactive fiction game. It is short with light puzzles and has a lot of endings. Finding new endings was exciting because you had to strategize, and that is where the replay value comes in. The game's hint section says, "The game features about seventeen distinct endings." SEVENTEEN! So far, I only managed to find twelve. I would love to know if anyone finds all of them.

Characters
What does it mean to be afflicted? According to Angela, Nikolai’s affliction is (Spoiler - click to show) diabetes. For the protagonist it is (Spoiler - click to show) being bitten by Sofia and turned into a vampire. The protagonist is unnamed and is only cynically described as Mr. Health Inspector by Nikolai. The protagonist’s background is an unusual one. I cannot recall ever playing any other game where the protagonist works for city sanitation, but this background only Afflicted more memorable. There are also other small details, such as a nostalgic love for disco, that make the protagonist more multi-dimensional.

Nikolai’s character is bold but also stagnates. He (Spoiler - click to show) denies the existence of vampires and Sofia’s corpse in the crypt but continues doing so even when the player catches him drinking Angela dry. Even when Sofia confirms that he is a vampire after her voice is restored. At this point Nikolai does not seem to bother (Spoiler - click to show) hiding the fact that he is a vampire. He locks the door and tells the player that they are next to be eaten. Sofia tells us about the territorial dispute between her and Nikolai, I thought this would be an opportunity to hear his side of the story. But instead, he keeps denying it. I wish there was a way to (Spoiler - click to show) stop Nikolai AND save Angela.

Final thoughts
This is one of my favorite (Spoiler - click to show) vampire games (not sure if this counts as a spoiler but I will mark it anyway). It is short with a high replay value and has an icky atmosphere (perhaps an option during Halloween) yet retains a sense of humor.

The story is one of finding a place in a welcoming community. You have been granted a cottage in a town on a new island and have access to a range of locations and townspeople. With this new start, you find ways of making the cottage your home.

There is one thing I want to say about content. When I first played this game on itchio it came with one of those “You must be 18+ to view this content” popup warnings but there is little explicit content to be worried about. The game’s content warning includes (Spoiler - click to show) language, violent events, and brief blood, which is true. However, after playing the game I sincerely feel that the content implemented is nowhere near an 18+ rating. I am only saying this because the +18 rating may discourage some players from even trying it which would mean missing out on an excellent and light-hearted game. That is my take on it. I would describe this game as not for kids but reasonable for most ages.

Gameplay
The gameplay is broken into days. Each day begins at the player’s cottage. At the start of each day the player can travel, harvest their garden, craft items, read books, and invite people over if they have a good enough relationship. Sometimes the player will get notifications in their mailbox about events and festivals held by the island community.

The travel locations are the town, forest, coast, and river, each having one main character that the player can build a relationship with (and possibly pursue romance). At each location the player can scavenge for raw materials and then craft items from them. You can then sell these creations at the market or give them to other characters as gifts. Sometimes new locations will briefly be available, such as (Spoiler - click to show) a shipwreck.

You can sell and buy things at the market which was exciting at first. However, it does not take long for you to buy out everything in the market. It also felt unrealistic that you can harvest a fresh crop from your garden every single day. Selling all that produce contributed to the excess of coins that I accumulated. I was surprised there was no way to customize your cottage beyond books and plants. A room extension or remodeling would burn off those extra coins.

One of the biggest strengths in this game is that quests are smoothly implemented. Quests usually involve finding and talking to new characters for information or crafting special items. Even though quests follow a similar model they avoid feeling repetitive. Sometimes they overlap which makes the game’s world more fluid.

Story
The ultimate goal is to become a happy member of the community but there is no variation in endings. The only ending is to (Spoiler - click to show) complete every task and achievement which is shown in a list. Because of this, players may not be compelled to replay it. I could see this as a game that you play again several months later when you stumble across it and decide to revisit it.

Characters
The game requires that the player become friends with the other characters. The only way to move forward in character interactions is to (Spoiler - click to show) alternate between giving them gifts and talking to them. It feels sort of awkward to have a heated interaction with a character and then earning points with them by giving them things out of nowhere. It is like in the Sims games where you give someone a high five until they become your best friend. Nonetheless, characters are richly implemented. They may be found strolling along in locations you normally would not find them, giving you an opportunity to chat. I also liked the idea of (Spoiler - click to show) recruiting the characters as teachers if you decide to turn the abandoned house into a school because it ties back to the theme of community building.

There is also a mild stat system that is used in character dialog. Gameplay choices affect your Sanguine, Melancholic, Choleric, and Phlegmatic levels. There is no way of checking your stat levels and it is not clear on what choices contribute to a particular stat, but it does add some extra depth. You might be presented with a list of options such as these: Here is an example of three links you could click on to respond to a character:

'Sorry. I didn't mean to intrude.'
'You left your door open.'
(Choleric) 'Looking around. Who are you?'

Each one of these would be a response to a character. If you did not have a high enough Choleric stat for the last option, it would be crossed out. Using stats in Twine games always adds a little complexity to the gameplay and Ataraxia is no exception.

Visuals
Game uses a simple colour scheme of teal background and orange text with occasional text effects in some of the quests. Everything is easy to read and navigate which is especially helpful in an RPG game where you are constantly flipping through inventories and stat statistics. I think its appearance is one of the game’s strongest points.

Final thoughts
Ataraxia is a nice ambient game with lighthearted themes of aspiration and productive community-building (along with just a touch of fantasy). Its gameplay is complex but not puzzle heavy and is an excellent example of a choice-based RPG.

Paid parental leave in Sweden has led to a change in parenting methods. Many fathers are now considered as "Stay-At-Home" dads, a concept that is rather novel in places like the U.S. In this game you are a father named Björn. The game begins in your kitchen where you are drinking juice and thinking about yourself as a parent. Note: This game came out in 2016. No doubt the landscape of childcare has evolved (for better or worse) since then.

Gameplay
The gameplay is shaped by your choice of perceiving the world with either a realist perspective or an optimist perspective that offer two separate paths. I liked how the game presents two simple but clearcut ways of experimenting with the story. Unfortunately, both paths end abruptly with the realist path being slightly longer.

Optimist path
In this first path Björn is reflecting on when he first met his wife Agatha at an office, thinking about how attractive she was. Then he moves on to when they bought their first house which has started to feel like a home. Suddenly (Spoiler - click to show) the game interjects with "WHAT COULD BE ANY BETTER THAN THAT?!" Then the credits appear. This path does nothing towards portraying the subject of paid parental leave. It is just feels like a brief fantasy trip.

Realist path
At least this path does briefly look at paid parental leave. It covers Björn’s daily routine with his daughter Abby. His wife, Agatha, works in finance in another area. He drives Abby to school tries to complete basic tasks such as grocery shopping. Before paid parental leave he worked in a nut processing factory. Because the factory is not particularly exciting, he decides to apply for a new job. (Spoiler - click to show) Unfortunately, the game randomly ends with him thinking about different types of nuts without further exploring the topics of childcare.

Discussion
The game describes itself as being about "Swedish fathers with a lot of time on their hands," which we never learn about. In both the optimist and realist paths the game never breaks down how fathers commit themselves to childcare or how they manage their free time, especially over longer time periods than the ones shown in the game. For instance, how have societal factors influenced fathers’ role in childcare that resulted in the wave of stay-at-home dads? At least the realist route skims the surface of the subject. It mentions grocery shopping and applying for jobs but discussion of the subject ends before it can begin. I was not expecting a vast Twine piece that covered every aspect of paid parental leave. But when I saw the game, I thought it would have gone into greater detail.

Visuals
The visual design is one of the strong points in this game. It features beautiful gradient backgrounds with large glowing text that is easy to read and creates a nicely stylized effect. The glowing text is subtle without being hard to read. The optimist and realist paths each have a unique gradient background that was aesthetically pleasing. If this were a blog, I would upload a screenshot of the background. Since that is not possible you will have to play the game to see them for yourself.

Final thoughts
Despite its incompleteness there are two reasons why I would recommend the game: A, it has information on parental paid leave in Sweden at the end of the game and B, shows some nice examples of gradient backgrounds used in Twine. This too is mentioned at the end.

Even though I have multiple criticisms about the game I am glad that the author chose this topic because parenting is always a relevant topic. Based on my experience (other players may feel otherwise) with interactive fiction I have encountered more games about motherhood than about fatherhood, and I think that this game is a nice addition to the mix.

(Note: If you click on the link to the article in the credits page, you may be hit with a paywall. But if you type in the name of the article "In Sweden, Men Can Have It All" into a search engine you will still find some interesting and relevant material on the subject.)

You are a passenger on a ship called the Space Cruiser DONTPANIC. It is just a basic business trip until an alarm goes off while you are asleep. One step outside of your quarters reveals that the ship is in a state of emergency, leaving you with no choice but to go to the control room to radio for help. But ground control has other plans.

In the control room you learn that ground control has gleefully nominated you to be the first human to enter a black hole. The player than can choose from a short list of outlandish survival options before they are swallowed by the event horizon (that is, the point of no return, where even light cannot escape). For atmosphere, consider looking up NASA’s first picture of a black hole. While I cannot claim that this game is an accurate depiction of what it would be like to fall into a black hole, the concept is still an interesting one to contemplate.

I am giving this game a rating of two stars because there not much substance to the gameplay. It is meant to be humorous and comical, but it does not offer much in terms of interactivity or variation. Initially, I thought it would have been one of those games where each time you die you learn something new that will let you get a litter farther in the next playthrough. However, the game usually results in the same outcome and the player’s choices do not seem to matter.

Most of the endings (Spoiler - click to show) lead to same thing: The player entering the event horizon and watching the first forms of life in the universe coming into creation. There is no explanation as to why ground control chose to sabotage the protagonist, nor is there any mention of any other characters on the ship because the layout of the ship suggests that this was a multi-person ship. There are only (Spoiler - click to show) two other endings: falling asleep after the alarm wakes you up and trying to teleport yourself out of the ship. The second one was probably the most interesting. I could not help but think that it would have been kind of cool to see a CerebroVat in action.

I often like to briefly acknowledge the visuals of Twine games. This one is basic but shows how a few style choices can add some uniqueness. Its appearance is a slightly more stylized than the typical white text and black screen. The text is set in a dark-grey rectangle with round corners against a black screen. Links are enclosed with a slightly lighter-gray rounded rectangle. I felt like this was a nice example of a basic Twine design.

In conclusion, the game may not be particularly substantial, but it still has merits. It is a brief and humorous diversion, and I recommend it to players who enjoy the disaster-in-space genre.