Ratings and 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.