Reviews by Kinetic Mouse Car

Note: The game’s itch.io site says that there is a commercial version of the game available. I'm reviewing the non-commercial version.

I was drawn to Within Rotation due to its colourful cover art and uplifting slice-of-life focus. Its central message is: Brief encounters with strangers can bloom into something enduring and fruitful. When focused on daily life, it’s easy to overlook the talents, insights, and perspectives that surround us.

Why make space for strangers?

To explore this question, the game gives the player an opportunity to witness the kind of “fleeting moments” that can occur between strangers- and see the impact that grows from this initial meeting.

The gameplay uses a candy machine to illustrate the concept of chance encounters. You click on the screen until two random pieces of candy roll out of the machine and transform into two humans- strangers- who meet and start a conversation. After a brief chat they disappear. The process is then repeated.

What tanked my experience were the lag issues. I don’t know if the issues were on my end or if that’s the case for everyone, but the screen would freeze or I’d get these “This page isn’t responding” messages. The candy machine segments became tedious, interrupting the flow of gameplay.

The characters’ conversations are meaningful. When two meet, they introduce themselves, ask open-ended questions, and inquire about each other’s interest. They then finish the conversation by making plans to further the connection they’ve made. For example, Party A has a neat shirt. Party B likes photography. Their conversation results in Party B recruiting Party A for a photoshoot at a later date.

As the game puts it: That all who are intimate start from anonymity.

Watching these conversations unfold left me with the sunny feeling of, “wow, what a wholesome, well-balanced conversation.” But from a gameplay standpoint, they aren’t particularly engaging, especially after the first few conversations. Plus, once you run out of candy (strangers), (Spoiler - click to show)the game is like, “The end. The game is over.” I sat there thinking, wait, is this it? Of course, I would have enjoyed it more without the lag issues.

To be fair, there is tremendous replay value. The version I played has eight strangers that can be paired, meaning that it’s possible for, say, Mira to have seven separate conversations. The randomization keeps the player guessing at what combination they’ll get, and I appreciate that the game allows you to “refill” the machine with candy that you’ve already used. Also, the character art is polished.

Final thoughts
I’m reluctant to rate Within Rotation because I have this feeling that I’m overlooking some important detail. Overall, I didn’t have the best experience, particularly due to the lag issues, and I’m not sure if I can rate it fairly.

That said, while it doesn’t really feel like a game, the deeper themes of expanding one’s horizons via basic interaction with strangers is something that we can all embrace and benefit from. Within Rotation provides the basic building blocks on where to start.

April 6th, 2004. Nina is 14 years old. She likes anime, video games, chatting with friends online, and building websites. But recently, things have taken a complicated turn. It has to do with her best friend Amy.

Amy is interested in Jared, a mutual friend. Because Nina is closer to Jared, Amy wants Nina’s help in setting her up with him. Problem: Nina also likes Jared, but is at a loss as to how to express this to Amy.

So, she says nothing and hopes that these feelings will pass.

Lost Memories Dot Net is a Unity game where you watch a love triangle unfold via online messaging.

Gameplay/Visuals
Gameplay is broken into Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 despite the story taking place over nearly a month. Visually, the game is set up like an internet browser with multiple tabs open. Two tabs are always open: the chat room and the editor for Nina’s website. But links to other fan websites can be accessed as well. This diegetic interface really sets the vibe of a teenager sitting at a computer.

Chat
The chat room is where you spend the most time. It’s also the source of my main criticism: delayed text. I understand that the game is trying to simulate someone typing.

Kayla is typing…

Thing is, t takes 3-5 seconds for each message to appear, and when it applies to the entire gameplay, it gets tedious. Especially as a longer game. Occasional dramatic pauses aside, if there were an option to, perhaps, double tap the screen to skip the wait time, it would be a huge help. For me, delayed text is often a turn-off when it comes to replays, but at least the game allows you to jump ahead to Days 2 and 3.

Editor
The website editor is the coolest part of the gameplay. Here, you get to decorate the front page of Nina’s website, “lost-memories.net.”

Welcome to lost-memories.net!!! I'm Nina!

Is it required? No. But’s it’s really fun. Experiment with colour schemes, backdrops, and imagery that can be resized and moved around. In fact, visuals found in other parts of the gameplay can be “downloaded” and added to the website. Probably the most impressive use of Unity I’ve seen so far.

Story/Characters
Time in the chat room is primarily split between Amy, a long-time best friend, and Kayla. Despite not having ever met Kayla in person, Nina is also good friends with her. Amy doesn’t appear to know about Kayla.

ONLINE
roseblush112 (Amy)
TarnishedDreamZ (Kayla)

Now that I think of it, do we ever see Nina’s screen name?

Social dynamics + Being a teenager
Friendship dynamics are a complex thing. Especially in middle/high school. How well do you know someone? Do they feel like you understand them and see them for who they are? What happens if you fail to notice? Lost Memories Dot Net tackles the subtlety of what it means to be there for a friend.

Amy adores Nina. She does care. They are, in fact, best friends. But does Amy provide the friendship that Nina needs? Lately, Nina has begun to relate to her best friend less and less. For one thing, Nina’s parents are often fighting and struggle with finances. Amy has a stable home life and can comfortably confide in her parents. Amy is extroverted (and gets attention from male peers) while Nina is quiet and nerdy.

A notable moment that illustrates this difference is when Nina says, “sorry im so depressed all the time,” Amy’s response boils down to, “NO apologizing… you’re just sad because your parents suck and school sucks… i totally understand. let’s play some games…” etc. She means well but this isn’t helping because she doesn’t understand. She may hear Nina, but she’s not actually listening.

Fortunately, anything she can’t share with Amy she can always share with Kayla. Especially since Kayla is a “non-school friend,” which makes her somewhat of a neutral party when discussion Jared/Amy-related issues.

Love triangle
Regardless of what you envision when you hear the phrase “love triangle,” Lost Memories Dot Net may surprise you with the direction it takes. In this case, (Spoiler - click to show)one of the two sides pining for the love interest never realizes there’s ever a triangle to begin with. Certainly not the friendship meltdown that I predicted, thankfully.

The story is linear. The player doesn’t have a lot of room to influence what’s going on. But in a way, this goes hand-in-hand with feeling Nina’s indecisiveness. Should she risk rejection and hurting her relationship with her best friend? Or should she stay quiet and continue to help Amy date Jared?

Granted, sometimes you want to yell, “JUST DO IT, NINA! ASK HIM!” If only it were that simple. Her situation may not seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of things. However, the story is unfolding from Nina’s frame of reference which barely extends beyond high school, home life, and their respective dramas. It is a big deal. And by no means is it easy.

Themes
Lost Memories Dot Net largely centers around the use of creative outlets as a way to escape the dramas of everyday life. Part blog, part fanfiction, part semi-private diary, lost-memories.net is Nina’s go-to spot for expressing her hopes and vulnerabilities.

Kayla, too, is an outlet. She may “only” be an internet friend, but she’s also Nina’s biggest support system. Nina has a tendency to apologize after sharing personal worries out of fear that she takes up too much space or is a burden. Kayla picks up on this. Rather than tossing around solutions she listens and reassures Nina that she's not alone in how she feels.

Amy: you gotta get off your computer and get a boyfriend!

(Amy, I know you mean well, but this isn’t helping.)

This interception of escapism, creativity, and human connection are alluded to at the end when (Spoiler - click to show)Kayla sends Nina a piece of artwork from Kayla’s own website, a piece that Nina had complimented earlier. It depicts someone lonely sitting in front of a computer screen while someone from inside the screen reaches out to them. A touching symbolic moment.

Final thoughts
If I were basing my rating solely on my enjoyment and level of engagement, I’d give this game three stars (partly because of the timed text, but don’t let that deter you). But I realize that its story carries a lot of meaning. It picks apart the complex dynamics of friendship by contrasting a well-meaning friend who is out of touch vs. a friend who reads between the lines when it matters most. Three stars isn’t enough.

Plus, it’s a high-quality work. I’m surprised it hasn’t received more attention on IFDB.

As a longer game, it’s possible that you’ll try it out of curiosity but not necessarily finish it. Let’s put it this way, if you love Lore Distance Relationship, this will be your cup of tea. And if the premise of a love triangle between two teenage girls interests you, go for it. It’s also worth trying just to see the innovative use of Unity. Otherwise, it may not be a good fit for you.

It will certainly resonate with the right audience.

It’s late at night and mr. leg can’t sleep. Solution: find milk.

This is an extremely short Inform game. Lunch break game? More like a snack break game. Acquiring the milk involves one puzzle.

The author nailed the prose. The lowercase letters and grammar effectively convey the uncomplicated world of mr.leg. I was impressed with the minimalist approach and how it informs the narrative and gameplay. The peaceful nighttime ambience was memorable, along with the cover art.

In conclusion, mr. leg needs some milk demonstrates what can be achieved when you focus on only cultivating what you need to tell the story. Whether this succeeds is often hit or miss, but the author of this game makes it work.

Described as a "sad divorced man fic," six of cups is a series of six scenes from a man's life that include a rocky marriage, a divorce, and a strained relationship with a daughter, all of which are all linked with the recurring theme of drinking (or is Card #2 supposed to be a pickle jar?). The game is also a choice-based hybridization of Unity and Ink.

The player is presented with a spread of six cards, each adorned with an image of a glass. Clicking on a card brings up a scene from the protagonist’s life, and these can be visited in any order. Instead of the game ending, the player stops once they’ve seen everything.

The writing is brief and concise. I was impressed with the amount of depth it conveys. The composition of scenes varies. One scene may consist of a few short paragraphs. Another may be a haphazard string of text messages. Instead of a detailed story, the game works to establish tone- a tone that says more than enough about the state of the protagonist's marital life without further detail.

"Okay," you say, dismissively. A dead fly floats in your drink.

I found it easy to get invested in the story and characters. There’s a sense of cynicism that persists and drives the narrative forward without feeling heavy-handed. I will say, I am itching to know more about the implications of the final line in the game:

The combination of Unity and Ink works well for the game's purposes because it adds complexity visually and implementation-wise, taking the act of reading about moments in a person’s life and giving it dimension. The visual presentation of the cards on the screen makes a strong first impression, while a range of colours, patterns, and graphical elements tailor to the mood of each scene. The format adds a degree of interactivity. Clicking on the cards, for one thing, but also superficial ways of getting the player to interact with what they read, such as having them tap the screen to “send” the text messages.

The simplicity of the six card spread works so well in allowing players to bounce around a timeline at whim. The tense conversation with the daughter, (Spoiler - click to show)Phoebe, can immediately be countered by going back to the moment in college before such responsibilities existed. And vice versa. In exploring the timeline this way, the player is encouraged to contemplate the protagonist, his choices, and how they intersect with the lives of other people.

Arguably, six of cups is more like an experience than a game, and yet, I found it just as engaging as anything else I’ve played. The concise writing, visual design, and simple but consistent implementation work together to result in a strong slice-of-life game that I have a hard time backing away from.

What comes to mind when someone says that a game is "cozy?" There is no single answer to this question, but Marshmallow Nights certainly qualifies. Cozy inside and out.

It’s a short Twine game about spending time with your best friend on a cold, brisk night. It begins outside where you and your friend are sitting on a hill. Your friend pulls out a bag of marshmallows and challenges you to a contest. I can't really discuss the game further without spoiling everything but just know that this is a friendly contest. Regardless of what you choose in the game, it always ends on a soothing, cozy note.

The visuals enhance the overall quality. It features a cream-coloured background with large grey text and light purple links. At the top of the screen is an animated graphic of a moon above a mountain landscape. The graphic’s purple/grey colour scheme harmonizes with the rest of the game's appearance, cementing the cozy effect.

My rating stems from the fact that it could be a little longer, even as "micro" game, but it does make the most of what it has to offer. There is a potency in the writing and how it sets the scene for us. No matter what, Marshmallow Nights will lead to a satisfying outcome.

(edit: formatting)

You're Gone is a linear custom choice-based game where a protagonist sends text messages to a dead loved one.

This story features anthropomorphized characters. Our protagonist, Marcus, is a coyote. His wife, a cat named Lee, recently died of cancer. His therapist recommended journaling about his feelings. He decides to do this by texting his deceased wife.

Gameplay
Gameplay involves clicking on a "send" icon to send text messages to Lee's phone. The player doesn’t choose what to send. They simply go along for the ride. While Marcus uses this to express his inner thoughts, the messages are addressed to her. For your convenience, a transcript of the gameplay can be found on the author’s website.

Visuals
You’re Gone replicates the appearance of a chat messenger with its layout of green time-stamped text bubbles and light grey background. The text box and paper airplane icon in the corner complete the look. While the game has minimal interactivity, these visuals make the player feel like they are messaging someone.

Story
Marcus’ text messages revolve around his volatile relationship with Lee's mom and her step-dad, Jun. Marcus notes how Lee always seemed to hate them but never explained why. Instead, she would avoid them at all costs.

From day one, her mom looked down on Marcus because he came from a different background and blames him for her daughter's death by being an inadequate husband. The fact that Lee left everything in her will to said husband certainly doesn’t help.

As the drama winds down, Marcus starts to follow his therapist’s advice and channels his energy from grieving Lee to working on himself and moving forward. And yet, the player doesn’t feel ready for the game to end.

Characters
Despite the deeply personal nature of Marcus' narration, his character feels rather inaccessible. We really don’t know much about him. We see him go through the various stages of grief and there is clear character growth. However, this growth can feel overshadowed by the increasingly explosive encounters he has with Lee's mom and Jun.

This extends to Lee as well. While she is the central focus of the game, she can get lost in the narrative. There are moments where Marcus talks about “reminiscing on the good times,” but hardly shares these with the player. If Marcus were to offer further reflection on the woman he loved (and continues to love) so we can get to know her as well, the game would have more dimension.

And yet, the game never fails to convey the depth of his love for her.

Also
What’s interesting is how there are two versions of You’re Gone. The story file that accessed via a “unbox.ifarchive.org” link contains a version of the game with human characters. Here, Marcus is a white man, and Lee is a Chinese woman. However, these changes are superficial and do not affect the gameplay as they both effectively illustrate the mom’s bias towards Marcus.

I think that the anthropomorphized is the "final version," and my guess is that the author wanted to move from racial themes to something more simplified, such as a canine husband with a feline wife, so the player can focus on Marcus' grieving.

Final thoughts
You’re Gone is a poignant glimpse into one person’s grieving. Though it’s bittersweet, it ends on an optimistic note. It handles a tough topic without becoming too dire. The minimal interactivity fits with the game’s premise of a protagonist sending text messages, but unless you’re interested in the story you may be turned off by the gameplay.

I played this game a while back, and I’m starting to think I didn’t give it the attention it deserved. I zipped through everything, looking for some action, and ended up missing the essence of the game which stems from the story not the gameplay itself. I now appreciate the game more than I did before.

If you are looking for a simple game about grief, loss, and moving forward that doesn’t involve a lot of detail, You’re Gone is a great option.

Your favorite bar is closing down, and tonight is the goodbye party.

The author notes that the game is based around the experiences of LGBTQ people in today's world. While there are occasional moments in the game where this subject is directly mentioned, it leaves things open-ended for the player.

Gameplay/Visuals
The game features anthropomorphized characters. You are a dog named Snuggles. We begin outside our favorite bar.

The game is made with Bitsy and makes a great first impression with its visual design. It kind of feels like playing a video game. There are graphics for the scenery, and all the characters appear as animal avatars.

Gameplay involves visiting the different areas of the bar while observing and talking to characters. Conversation is menu-based, and you travel by using the arrows on your keyboard. Once you’re satisfied, leave the bar to end the game.

All of this creates an immersive experience. Because of this, however, some players may be left wishing that the gameplay had more things for them to explore.

Story
You Don't Have To Go Home, But You Can't Stay Here seems to be an incredibly personal game for the author, so I'll refrain from overanalyzing it as I often do in my reviews.

There are two themes that stick out. I’d like to briefly discuss.

First: As you get older, you become more aware of the distance between yourself and younger generations. Snuggles views the younger patrons with the nostalgic sentiment of, "I was once like that," and reflects, with some sadness, on how this kind of place was not available to Snuggles when they were younger. Now, they identify more with the older patrons and even joke about this with some friends.

Second: Venues that offer a respite from mainstream bias and hostility are limited and at risk of being closed due to costs- as is the case with Snuggles’ bar- and other factors.

There aren't a lot of spaces for people like us as it is.

The closing of the bar goes beyond feeling sad about losing a place to hang out. It's a gathering space for community. Its closure brings the worry of what else will be closed or taken away. Then what?

There’s a lot to think about.

Final thoughts
You Don't Have To Go Home, But You Can't Stay Here is a bittersweet game about saying goodbye:

Not to a single person, but to a place and the people who brought it to life.

The bar clearly means a lot to the characters. Our conversations with them give us a glimpse as to how the bar became so loved, and these interactions, though brief, convey insights relevant to our world now.

Ultimately, it is an introspective game. Everything is infused with Snuggles’ own memories and life experiences. It has an unrushed ambience, and I think many people will enjoy it.

Less like a game, more like a reflection, Nineteen is an author's sharing of her experience with suicide and the insights she has gained over the years.

Gameplay is non-linear. It begins with a short but powerful sentence:

I was twelve the last time I tried to kill myself. That was nineteen years ago.

This sentence contains links that bring you to different moments in her life, and these are woven together through the links scattered across the narrative until we reach the game’s “end.” Depending on the parts you visit, you may need to play the game more than once to view everything.

The author gives us an intimate look into her life and even includes family photos. The details are best experienced through the gameplay in her own words. I’ll just focus on the game’s central theme: the critical role of friendship when struggling with depression.

She recognizes that this is easier said than done and writes about the struggle of not knowing how to convey the kind of support you need. Sometimes you're not even sure of what to ask for, and if you do, there's fear of what your friends may think.

Next, she reflects on how friends can be oblivious of the impact mundane actions can cause, for better or worse. Like when one friend sent her a silly picture of a cat (included in the game!), which was enough for her to want to remain in the moment.

Do they know?

Do they get that they might have just saved my life with that stupid cat macro?

On the flip side, an insensitive comment made by a favorite teacher resulted in feelings of rage- feelings she suppressed until she was alone.

Despite all this, the author concludes that "the only consistently valuable tool I have found has been my friends," and this realization is the product of over a decade of life experience.

As the game draws to a close, we receive this key insight...

Depression convinces you that you have no power. Sometimes you need friends to lend you some of theirs.

...only for the author to take this one step further.

There is always someone who will lend you power.

If you can't think of anyone else, think of me.

The player can then click on "think of me" to email the author! This also serves as the game’s ending. And what a brilliant way of doing so!

I’m not sure if it’s still active, though. The game was created in 2013.

I will say: the game’s implementation could be smoother. Some passages have no links, interrupting the flow of the story. There is no "back button," and the “Rewind” feature on the side of the screen only led to, “No passage available.” It may not occur to players to use the "back" button on their browser, forcing them to restart (like I did until I figured it out). Also, the text is rather small.

To conclude, Nineteen is a short Twine game that leaves a memorable impression on the player due to the author’s candid writing and heartfelt discussion on the difference a support group of friends can make. Her approach of paying it forward by reaching out to players is especially admirable. Play it and see what resonates with you.

Anhedonia is a Twine game about depression and how it saps the meaning in one's life. It appears that it’s a reflection of the author's own experience. Everything is told in first person. That said, I will refer to the narrator as "the protagonist." Consider this review as how I understand the game. I hope it reflects what the author had in mind when they created this work.

Gameplay is linear. I'd describe the gameplay as a train of the protagonist's thoughts. While progress is made by clicking on links to move to the next thought, the use of cycling links in some passages add interactivity.

Anhedonia keeps the word count to a minimum, and there are simple but well-designed drawings that add polish. Some of the art is even animated! The visuals also pair well with the font. The dark grey text almost looks like handwriting and there are red links. Fade-in-fade-out text effects are sometimes used to tell the story.

The protagonist looks at the difficulties of living with depression and mental illness, which include the societal belief that you just need to "try harder," medical professionals not taking you seriously, concerns about affording medication if you lose your insurance, and more. But the game's focus is centered on the concept of "anhedonia," which also serves as its title.

"Anhedonia" is an inability to experience pleasure and is often associated with depression. While the game does not explicitly provide anhedonia's definition, it's conveyed through the story. The protagonist no longer finds joy in not only things that once made them happy, but also in things that reinforces one's awareness of being alive. This includes physical sensations that engage the body which now feels muted.

The game does, however, define another word:

semantic saturation:

the phenomenon whereby the uninterrupted repetition of a word

leads to a sense that the word has lost its meaning

Next, the game says that being mentally ill is "not a question of semantics but of ontology."

If I understand this correctly, the protagonist is drawing a parallel between the loss of meaning within a word, and the loss of meaning in their life because of depression, both of which involve some form of repetition: the repetition of a word vs. repetition of depression in everyday existence. The result? The loss of meaning. And loss of meaning can imply that pleasure is lost as well.

I think the game summarizes itself when it ponders,

how does one separate illness from self

A recurring theme is how the numbness of daily life can cause one to be desensitized to what it's like to feel numb to begin with. If depression is all-encompassing, it becomes difficult to identify where "you" start/stop and where the mental illness begins.

I'm going to leave it at that.

Now, I encourage you to play it so you can experience the story for yourself and form your own interpretation. Gameplay is only a few minutes long, and I think the low word-count will appeal to players. Visually, if you're looking for inspiration, Anhedonia is a great example of a Twine game with a simple yet polished appearance.

I imagine that creating Anhedonia was no easy feat for the author, and I appreciate the time and effort put into the game’s creation.

As the title suggests, the game takes place at the Human Resources Administration (HRA) in New York City. You are an alien sent on a mission to sign up for SNAP, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, as part of your studies on human culture. Disguised as a human, you hope to see how SNAP helps people dealing with food insecurity!

Or at least how it’s supposed to help people.

Gameplay
The game takes place in a waiting room where we follow instructions on applying for SNAP. There are no puzzles. As the player we primarily observe the bureaucracy involved as we navigate a kiosk, dismissive staff, paperwork, and a line of people.

Our protagonist has the ability to “freeze” their surroundings in a temporal bubble of green light, rendering everyone and everything frozen in time. This is done to take notes and make observations before returning to reality.

I want to give this game a higher rating. Its exploration into its subject matter is strong, but as a game it ends too abruptly. The turning point happens after we’ve submitted our paperwork.

Story
Rather than focusing on a plot, A Visit to the Human Resources Administration strives to highlight the bureaucratic inadequacies that hinder obtaining social services such as SNAP. And it does an effective job at this.

For example, if you choose “Sarah Traballano-Williams” as your human name, you discover that the kiosk does not have a key for the dash symbol. A staff member says it’s okay to omit it… only for this to clash with the application process several minutes later.

"Your name in the paperwork says Sarah TraballanoWilliams, one word, and your ID says Sarah Traballano DASH Williams. Your name needs to match."

One small snag that can setback your progress. And what about needing to show a photo ID to apply for a new photo ID because your old one got stolen? This is the reality people face in real life.

The game points out that humans’ need to eat does not get put on hold until you fill out paperwork (again), reenter your info online (hopefully you still have access to a computer and internet connection), and possibly wait three to five business days for such and such to be processed and approved.

And what happens if, “sorry, the system isn't working right now?”

When the system fails, struggling people have to contort themselves and navigate unnecessary obstacles to make up for this failure.

SNAP
What initially drew me to this game was its coverage on SNAP.

I have never experienced food insecurity. However, I became aware of SNAP when I participated in a volunteer/learning program that included the “SNAP Challenge.”

In this challenge, we went to different stores and filled a cart with what we would buy if we were on SNAP. We then compared the hypothetical groceries from each store to see how one’s choices were affected by pricing and item availability. A common question was "do I buy higher quantities of food with lower nutritional value, or do I buy less food- and therefore have less to eat- but with better nutrition?" How would this factor in if you had a family to feed? Or lived in a food desert?

It was eye-opening. And yet, I still have a lot to learn.

Now, I thought that the game would portray some of that. Instead, it’s merely on applying for SNAP. And that suits the game’s purposes just fine. Besides, we end up applying for Cash Assistance instead (since the system isn’t working right, we’re told). I’m just curious at what observations the protagonist would make if they had a chance to purchase food with their newly acquired benefits.

Further discussion
The author, a social worker, offers some powerful takeaways that are discussed at the end of the game. Studies can reduce vulnerable people (such as those dealing with food insecurity) into data points. This quantification distances research from the realities endured by its subjects, and we see fragments of this with the game’s protagonist.

In a way, there’s a systemic suspicion towards individuals who apply for help, a default assumption that you’re trying to exploit the system… until you jump through every hoop to demonstrate otherwise. People need to eat. You don’t need studies to prove that.

If food is central to human existence, why are the machines to get SNAP lacking basic functions such as a working text interface?

Questioning the legitimacy of programs (and committing to them) that help reach the objective of no one going hungry makes little sense.

Characters
Initially, I was expecting a story where an alien finds themselves on Earth and must receive benefits to survive. The game takes a different route by using an alien PC sent to Earth on a mission. They don’t actually experience food insecurity firsthand. I do think the investigative approach of the protagonist’s mission and their status as a being from another world allows us to examine SNAP and its infrastructure with a more neutral, straightforward manner. The player is made more aware of real-world issues.

However, the most compelling aspect of this game is how it considers the protagonist’s actions as being potentially problematic. They choose to participate in these missions because they want to "experience alien cultures directly." They are well-meaning and make the vital observation that for a system that is meant to help people, it is not designed with this objective in mind.

The game also name-drops some of the protagonist’s colleagues, but they have no greater effect on the story.

Visuals
Keeps it simple. It uses the default Twine appearance of a black background, white text, and blue links. Everything is easy to read and neatly spaced.

Final thoughts
I'm glad this game exists. It's an equal blend of light-heartedness and seriousness to convey important ideas about food insecurity and the bureaucracy that gets in the way of addressing it. Plus, the alien character adds flair.

As a social worker, the author brings valuable insight to this game, and I enjoyed their concise yet descriptive writing. They nailed the bathroom scene with its dwindling liquid hand soap and germy hand dryer.

I do wish the game was longer (or at least less linear) and allowed the player’s choices to have a larger impact on the story’s trajectory. That way, we have a chance to see the impact of our choices. And what’s up with (Spoiler - click to show)Skrzyyyyt? The protagonist doesn’t seem to like them.

Nonetheless, A Visit to the Human Resources Administration is well worth your time.