Reviews by Kinetic Mouse Car

It is the year 2052.

Artificial Intelligence has advanced at breakneck speed and transformed the world.

And you, Karl Gottleib, are in the center of it. As a Sentience Compliance officer for Crucible Robotics, your job is to track down signs of unauthorized A.I. sentience and stamp it out before it poses any danger to society. But is this suppression of sentience really for the greater good, or are you serving hidden interests?

Shift++ is an investigative cyberpunk game with an immersive dystopian atmosphere and flashy visual design. Society’s confidence in the safety in A.I. is on the rocks. When a whistleblower at Crucible Robotics attempts to leak news of a sentience breach, the company puts its facility on lockdown so that you can put an end to the breach without the public ever knowing there was a problem.

Gameplay
The goal is to track down whatever A.I. has breached sentience. The gameplay has you investigate the four wings of the Crucible Robotics facility. Before long, your partner and friend, Melody Hammond, will show up to help you. She travels with you and provides insight as you explore.

Melody is now in your party. she will be available to chat in the different locations.

(Other characters can also join in on the fun, if you let them.)

Most actions involve talking to NPCs and cross-referencing information to identify the whistleblower and locate the malfunctioning robot(s). To streamline your investigation, the game features a “Temporary Workspace” where you access your emails and notes on the case.

Once you know what to look for, the game can be completed rather quickly, making the investigative part somewhat redundant. However, there is replay value in finding the most morally fulfilling ending, one that requires you to operate outside of your job description. Plus, it’s fun to find every possible lead. There is one that I’ve been unable to pursue. When you first visit the warehouse, the game says:

You can introduce yourself but you will need to come back later with some sort of offering if you want to make a dent here.

What kind of offering? I know you can earn Simone's approval by giving her gum but I don't know what to do with the employees here. Just curious.

Story
The story explores the morality of doing your job as asked, and doing what you feel, deep down, is right. Your job is simple: Track down the robot, hand it over to management, collect your paycheck. You serve a corporation. (Spoiler - click to show)But this changes when we track down the robot (self-named Papa Moon) and it tells us what it’s really like for an A.I. to be processed at the Innovation Lab. The robot is no longer just a malfunctioning unit; It is a sentient being that just wants to live. This leads to a conundrum when you need to make a choice about said robot’s fate.

There is also a cynical humor to this game. One way to get the desk worker to listen to you is to dramatically (“I’m Karl Gotlieb! I take charge!!”) throw her computer like a rabid animal. You can also (Spoiler - click to show)give up on the investigation and nuke the entire facility (there’s a neat visual for this) or ditch your responsibilities and (Spoiler - click to show)become a maggot farmer. I thought the game was joking when it added this option, but, no, it’s an actual ending.

Visuals
I love the visuals! They are reminiscent of The Matrix, establishing a strong cyberpunk vibe. Accordingly, colours primarily consist of green and black.

Every location has animated graphics that are all sleek lines and sharp angles. The use of “raining code” was especially cool. Cleverly, the segment titled "The Long Walk Down Yet Another Corridor..." uses animation that makes the player feel as if they are trudging down the halls of Crucible Robotics. Also, (Spoiler - click to show)having the lights in Papa Moon’s eyes go out (and the background fading away) emphasizes a sense of loss.

For the character portraits, a crude style is used. Almost like they were created with MS Paint. It’s awesome. They channel the mood of a dystopian workplace. Simone looks so, so tired and done with everything.

Final thoughts
I had a lot of fun with Shift++. The characters, setting, graphics, and genre made me want to peel back its surface and find every possible detail about the game’s world.

I've taken off a star because there are quite a few spelling errors and some formatting roughness, such as paragraphs being duplicated. Also, if you recruit Eggnog into your group and then return to the RND Data Lab, he’s sitting there and greets you as if you’re meeting him for the first time. But while these issues reduced the overall quality of the game, it didn’t make it less intriguing.

A great choice if you’re interested in a cyberpunk, story-driven game that gives you some things to think about.

In Warm Me Up, you are single and tired of romantic relationships that go nowhere. So, when a production company announces casting for a romance reality TV show called “Warm Me Up,” you submit an application… and are chosen to be a contestant!

CASTING NOW:
HOT SINGLES WANTED

Since the game is still under development, I’m going to wait on assigning it a rating.

The premise of a reality dating TV show piqued my interest because it reminds me of the ChoiceScript game Blood Island. As a work of horror, Blood Island focused more on exploring the sole survivor “final girl” trope and less on individual romance between contestants. Warm Me Up proved to be an opportunity to focus on the falling-in-love part as well as depicting the logistics of a reality TV show.

Currently, the game consists of the application process and the first day of filming. The show is structured around a bidding process where each contestant bids on one person they want to pair up with. If two individuals choose each other, they sleep in a cozy lodge. Failure means sleeping in a tent outside. In the Swiss Alps. The game ends soon after the results are announced. But prior to this is gameplay where you get acquainted with the contestants and have a chance to build a rapport with them.

“No need to fall so hard for me.”— ♡
“You’ve got a little…”— ♡
“Let me help you.”
“You seem…busy. I won’t get in your way.”

Rapport is measured with a stat system for romance and friendship metrics. The player, too, has stats that reflect their personality. Player appearance is also customizable.

Right now, the game isn’t long enough to feel much connection with the contestants, but that didn’t stop me from fussing over who they were going to choose for the bidding ceremony (Spoiler - click to show)(I’ve only been successful in pairing with Kalea and Dmitry). I assume it’s possible for every contestant to fall head over feels in love with the player. But will this be based in dynamic relationship-building that reflects the uniqueness of each character or will it simply revolve around having a high enough stat? Time will tell.

As a Twine game, Warm Me Up keeps it simple with a blue colour pallet that can be viewed in light or dark mode. Text is easy to read and the occasional emoji adds flair.

Final thoughts
Warm Me Up is clearly an ambitious project and impresses with its polished appearance and solid TV show premise. I know I’m committed. Despite consisting of only one chapter, the framework for a fantastic game has already been laid. I hope this momentum continues as it undergoes further development.

You blink into existence. Who, what, where, when, why, how? No clue. You just exist. In a strange room inside a strange household. The occupants whisper about the "Architect." Perhaps this entity can shine some light on your circumstances…

But first: When I stumbled across The Architect, it seemed so lonely. No tags, reviews, or ratings. Not in any polls or lists. No sign that it's been played or added to a wish list (as far as IFDB is concerned). Just quietly sitting there since 2017.

And I ended up having a lot of fun!

Gameplay
Gameplay is broken into puzzles that are activated through character interactions. Everyone is preparing for the “Feast” to be held at the end of the day. The puzzles involve helping the characters prepare, mostly by finding certain items. There are six total. (Spoiler - click to show)Seven, actually, but that’s more of a hidden bonus. They overlap, so the player must be strategic.

You begin "Mariah's Sad"

Leave conversation

The house has roughly a dozen rooms across two floors. Delightfully, you travel from room to room freely like you would in a parser game. NPCs travel the map as well. After multiple playthroughs you start to pick up on their patterns.

There is a digital clock on the wall. It shows —
12:00

Wait

Anita is here. Talk to Anita

You also play against the clock. The game begins at 07:20 and ends at 20:20. Each move to another room costs 00:10. At 20:20, it’s time… for the Feast.

Testing is needed, though. And proofreading for spelling errors. Now, there is no save function. Unfortunately, the inconsistent implementation made, at times, the inability to save more of a frustration than a welcome challenge. I also wish the game displayed your inventory items and active puzzles because it’s too easy to lose track of your progress mid-game.

Also:

Story
The house’s residents reverently namedrop the “Architect.”

Has Anita told you about the Architect? It made us and everything.

A godlike entity and the focal point of the story. I actually approached this as a mystery game with horror undertones. Small things fed this impression: The effigy door. The characters’ insistency of pleasing an unseen, all-knowing being with a semi-ritualistic-sounding Feast. The general uncanniness of the gameplay.

As you open the notebook at your tab you see words written in a strange language. You feel cold all of a sudden.

It’s also evident that you’re being kept in the dark about an event that had occurred but you have no memory of. You catch wind of this when someone slips up and mentions it only to backpedal and deflect. To top it off, the scenes depicted in the cover art primed me into expecting the worst, that surely there is a sinister truth behind the Architect.

Only one way to find out.

Visuals
The Architect is made with Twine and uses a grainy light grey picture of a house as a backdrop. Links are blue and text comes in a range of colours, including colour-coded dialogue. While simple, this design succeeds in giving the game a distinctive look.

Final thoughts
It’s such a waste that this game hasn’t received more attention. Especially as a Twine puzzler. Despite its flaws, The Architect is an overlooked gem. I like that it’s a shortish game that requires many playthroughs to master. Difficult, but rewarding when you win.

That said, its current state makes me hesitant to recommend it for everyone. It would benefit from refinement to address the more… frustrating parts. Stop telling me I can’t find anything in the bathroom. I need that bobby pin. So: If you love turn-count oriented gameplay and/or mapping the whereabouts of moving NPCs, you should definitely try The Architect. Just be patient with the implementation.

This game is currently under development, so I’ll hold off on assigning it a rating.

You are a flesh harvester, a nightmare creature of body parts and barbed wire who likes to snack on mortals’ bodies to enhance your own twisted form. In doing so, you become… powerful. The world awaits.

BLACK FLESH begins in your den. Initially, the only gameplay actions are hunting humans for flesh, modifying your body with said flesh, and making painkillers (because as much as you enjoy pain, it can still kill you).

Acquired: 21 flesh + raw muscle fiber filament.

Nice. Sort of.

A status bar on the left tracks your pain level, the number of limbs you’ve added to your body, and collected raw material. Certain actions increase your pain. If it reaches 100%, game over. And there’s no way to save, either. After enough modification, you “level up” and unlock more actions such as capturing servants to do your bidding. Others are listed but not currently implemented. Raiding villages will have to wait.

Unfortunately, the gameplay is extremely repetitive. The author notes that BLACK FLESH has no story and instead focuses on the gore element to “boost your primal dopamine.” Alright. Except the lack of variation dulls the effect. Hunt. Take painkiller. Modify body. Take painkiller. Repeat. Any dopamine rush (or is it adrenaline?) soon fizzles out as you micromanage your pain levels.

Also, the requirements for leveling up are unreasonable. To level up a second time, you need 40 arms, 40 legs, 20 heads, and 8 torsos. It took way too long. When I finally succeeded, (Spoiler - click to show)the game ran into a dead end. The only link on the screen (“Hahaha!”) kept taking me back to the same screen. Either it’s a bug or the implementation ends there.

Players may be turned off by the game’s graphic and directionless carnage, but there is an odd charm to it. It heaps on the gore with such in-your-face enthusiasm that you start to think, “okay, I’m into it.”

…flaying a hole to accommodate NEW TISSUE.

Yeah, new tissue! The effect is accentuated with the ALL-CAPS pulsing red text that is reserved for the extra gnarly moments. This visual also stands out nicely with the game’s black screen, red buttons, and otherwise white text. (Made with Twine, btw).

Over the top, yes, but think of it as a resource management game or an RPG. You collect resources (flesh) to construct limbs to level up and gain new abilities, all while staying within a set threshold (pain levels). However, these need to be developed further if the author wants to retain players beyond the first few minutes.

Final thoughts
As of now, BLACK FLESH is hovering around a rating of two stars because for a game that promotes itself as being a thrilling gore-fest, it is quite mind-numbingly repetitive. Do you know how long it takes to stockpile 40 arms and 40 legs?

Fortunately, it’s still in the early stage of development. The author appears to be quite excited about the game which makes me eager to see what they have in store for us.

Fans of the Twine game MARTYR ME will get a kick out of this.

The Vault of Stories is a rather unique Twine game that both entertains and educates. It was created by a professor at the University of Maryland for a course titled "INST388Q Interactive Fiction,” and describes itself as “half story-game and half instructional material.”

I am NOT a student. But I still ended up having a positive and memorable experience. Hopefully, my (rather long) review, will help you get the most out of it.

Overview
The story-gameplay portion is set in the future where the player attends the fictional Palisade Institute as a student. Fun and immersive, this part adds flair through worldbuilding and makes players feel more invested in the assigned work.

The instructional part teaches different narrative structures and genres in interactive fiction before guiding players into crafting their own Twine stories. Throughout this section are checkpoints where real-life students submit assignments for the course in exchange for assignment codes. More on that later.

Gameplay
PART I: “Story-game”
Gameplay is broken into three stages, class time at the Palisade Institute, a trek across a desert, and investigating a ruined city. While linear, plenty of interesting things occur.

Renowned for its unique blend of cutting-edge survival science and cultural heritage studies, the Institute is one of the last bastions of higher education in North America.

You begin by choosing a student avatar. Six diverse options are available and ties in with a stat system that is further shaped by your choices in the gameplay. The name and character portrait is just cosmetic. The stats, however, determine the genre and narrative structures covered in the instructional section of the game.

Later, you stumble across unfamiliar files belonging to an employee at the “Vault of Stories,” a place that supposedly collects fictional narratives. Without spoiling the details, it appears the Vault had experienced a structural failure. This led to the creation of a (Spoiler - click to show)human-A.I. (I think) entity known as the Archivist…

Now you know.
Now you see us.
Now, come find us.

…who contacts you and provides a set of GPS coordinates leading to a derelict city!

In a way, everything up to this point serves as an intro. The trip across the desert includes a sampling of some interactive fiction games, but the main action takes place in the city where the Archivist awaits with a special task. Soon after, the game then asks for an assignment code to continue playing.

To my delight, all I had to do was message the author on IFDB.

PART II: Instructional material
Once you become acquainted with the Archivist, the gameplay switches to the instructive half of The Vault of Stories. Because this game is for a college course, it’s tailored to its primary audience: students taking the class. For non-students like myself, the organization and amount of content can be overwhelming. So, I’m going to focus on what I consider to be the best of the game’s instructional content has to offer.

Initially, the game starts by providing some basic Twine tutorials that you may have seen elsewhere (note: The Vault of Stories focuses on Harlowe.) Next, are basic overviews on game engines, POV, character design, the history of interactive fiction, and more.

But the highlight is when the game teaches three narrative structures (ex. hub-and-spoke narratives) and three genres. Which three? Depends on your highest stat, though multiple playthroughs revealed that they often overlap. You are then directed to try another Twine game that demonstrates the narrative structure or genre that is being described, followed by a photo tutorial on a related technique.

For example, when learning about hub-and-spoke narrative structure, you try the game The Great Mortality before receiving a tutorial on variable tracking.

This combination of explanation, outside examples, and a visual breakdown of what to do is where the game shines as an educational tool. It may not be a complete, comprehensive guide, but it gives you a starting point and some building blocks.

Once you’ve learned about three different narrative structures and genres, the Archivist challenges you to pick one of each to create your own Twine game. Several spinners select your setting, protagonist, quest, story twist, and conclusion. In fact, these spinners have some clever ideas. This might come in handy if you ever experience writer’s block.

In submitting assignments to the teacher, you are supposedly adding your work to the Vault in-game. If you want to see how everything wraps up, do so with the assignment codes. The author will provide them by request (see the end of Gameplay PART I).

Story
While there is more story on the Archivist and the Vault, I don’t want to spoil everything. Instead, I’ll delve into my favorite part of this game: the overarching backstory as unveiled during the lecture we attend at the Institute. It outlines a moment in history called the Great Collapse… where everything changed.

Prior to the Collapse, humanity opted to address the climate crisis with technology-based solutions while countless data centers were entrusted to house ancient and modern knowledge. This all relied on vast infrastructure, functioning as a “house of cards waiting for the smallest gust of wind.”

The Collapse began when solar flares devastated electronics globally. An overreliance on automated systems brought daily life to a halt and triggered a cascade of problems. Meanwhile, climate change only worsened. Humanity plunged into a “pre-biotech reality” with diminished cultural memory and scientific knowledge. Survivors transitioned to isolated pocket communities, leaving cities behind as relics of a lost age.

Thoughts
This backstory is intriguing because it draws parallels to our world now. Like the building of data centers. The growing use of A.I. has brought questions about the amount of infrastructure needed to support and power it. And then there’s climate change…

What’s refreshing about The Vault of Stories is that it offers a vision for a future in a scenario where human civilization nearly leads to its own demise. Now, the immediate gameplay takes place in a post-Collapse world. But do we see a drab, miserable, post-apocalyptic existence? No. Civilization has found a way to flourish.

The lecture reveals that humanity gradually rebuilt in desert regions with an emphasis on working with nature rather than trying to conquer it. By pooling together different areas of knowledge and expertise, modern civilization turned its focus to the “art and science of survival.” The Institute is one such product of this philosophy.

✦ BOTE024 Symbiotic Infrastructures. Investigates how botanical systems can serve as living infrastructures for shelter, energy, and data exchange.

I would totally attend this school.

Ideally, we’ll avoid our own Great Collapse. Regardless, I’d like to think that it’s always an option to embrace the themes of adaptation and coexistence as outlined in this story.

Visuals
First off, I was pleased to see that The Vault of Stories uses a wide range of fonts, colours, and visual effects. And the art. Filled to the brim with art! Some of it gives the impression of being A.I.-generated, but that doesn’t stop it from looking really cool (if not breathtaking). I would often linger to marvel at the scenery. It brings the story to life and works well for the game’s purposes.

That said, the game tends to go overboard. Not every scene needs a visual, especially when the gameplay follows a pattern of click on link, wait two seconds for a large picture to load, scroll down to the bottom of the screen to read the text, repeat. Especially when we’re crossing the desert. Also, our meeting with the Archivist feels dominated by the gameplay showing off her hair colours. The game could tone it down without sacrificing her characterization.

Final thoughts
Reviewing and rating this game has proved to be an interesting task because its hybrid nature as both a gameplay experience and a learning tool was something I had never encountered before in a Twine game. My rating of four stars reflects the fact that I was enamored by the story presented in the first half, and was impressed with what it teaches in the second half. Overall, an ambitious and impressive effort.

It does, however, have room for improvement. Some vocab terms had broken links and the text input boxes can be fickle. (Spoiler - click to show)The answer to the interactive fiction puzzle is, “interactive fiction,” right? So why does it act like it’s the wrong answer the first time I punch it in but not the second? Also, it takes a while to reach the part that teaches narrative structures and story genre which I argue is the most informative part. And of course, some players may be turned off about having to input a code at all.

Who knows? Maybe there’s things I missed. But for now, I had a fun time and will leave things here.

You should try this game if…
-The worldbuilding and backstory in the first half interests you
-The artwork sounds appealing
-A college course Twine game piques your curiosity
-You want to learn techniques that turn a story idea into an interactive narrative (Especially this!)

Otherwise, the game might not be your style.

Begscape is a Twine game about traveling from city to city and begging for coins to afford food and shelter. Begging is nearly the only action in the gameplay.

It is morning. Shelter costs 5 coins. You have 2 coins.

Beg

You beg for coins with the hope that you have enough at the end of the day. Otherwise, you sleep on the streets which worsens your health. You can either keep begging in the city or move on to the next one. Unless the locals kick you out first. The cost of food and shelter depends on the city. The game ends when you die.

While some players might find it too repetitive, it’s actually quite engaging and not entirely without strategy. Cost of food/shelter can range from 4 coins to 9 coins. My strategy involved moving on from the more expensive cities. However, it's possible to encounter hazards while traveling. And even if you find the game to be overly repetitive, the temptation of achieving a new high score may make it difficult to step away. In one playthrough, I lasted 23 days!

A prominent theme is the societal dismissal of people in need. While Begscape does not go into detail, the cities’ population inherently frowns upon your presence. Some individuals may give you coins, but most are content to look away or take advantage of your vulnerability. And sooner or later, you get thrown out. It is such that you are stuck in a continuous cycle of begging to afford basic necessitates with no way out.

Someone kicks over your bowl and grabs your coins. You lose 4 coins.

The gameplay briefly touches on the stigma around homeless people, such as the belief that they only spend money on drugs and nothing else. In addition to being homeless, it we battle other taboos. Notably, our gender.

A mutant beekeeper walks by, mocking your gender.

While there is no further elaboration on this, it nonetheless connects back into the subject of gender identity and judgement which is often found in Porpentine’s work- as is the usage of random generation for NPCs and scenery.

Begscape is a game that you can find yourself visiting time and time again due to its simple central mechanic and the temptation to replay it for a higher score. The protagonist’s situation gives you things to think about.

GROWBOTICS is a Twine game about a fictional product of the same name. A workbench that can craft anything using intangible and abstract ingredients.

If you believe the hype this machine is capable of anything.

At least, that’s what you’ve been told.

Gameplay
We begin by unpacking the workbench. The game involves combining primary “essences” to create secondary ones, both of which can be combined to produce a final product, such as a Surprising Electric Eel. You then choose to create something new, end the game in disappointment, or end feeling satisfied with your creation.

YUCK, try AGAIN | NOT HAPPY but I'M DONE | YAY! I love IT

Except, this ends up being one-dimensional. The hint guide, which I recommend using, lists over 500 combos. I was excited by what was listed- Whale Song, Costume Design, Popular Science Book- only to learn that, aside from having cool icons, what you create is irrelevant to the game’s outcome. In fact, the only choice that makes a difference is when you customize your workspace at the start of the game (see Story).

What’s the point of crafting more complex items? The game gives the impression that your choices matter more than they do, and that’s the source of disappointment. As a result, there is little incentive to experiment which is a shame since I can only imagine the amount of time the author spent putting it all together.

It wouldn’t be so bad if your final creations were preserved instead of discarded. It reminds me of app games that use the similar mechanic of combining elements to make intuitive products (ex. combine two trees to make a forest), icons included. Except, your creations are cataloged so you can keep track of them. In GROWBOTICS, these creations go into the trash if you decide to craft something else.

Implementation
Despite its simplicity, the gameplay can be frustrating. I wish the listed the combinations for your secondary essences because order matters. Otherwise, you have the issue of “did I choose Liquid + Solid or Solid + Liquid?” You can check the hint guide, but this becomes tedious. Initially, I kept playing just to see the icon imagery.

You have reached your maximum quota of 20 secondary essences. Switch mode or reset.

…but this was the final straw that led me to stop playing. To be honest, I almost had more fun reading the impressively organized hint guide.

Story/Characters
The game takes a novel approach to character customization. Your identity is linked to the location of your workspace and determines the story. There are 36 locations, from “blanket fort” to “religious cell.” You can be a researcher on the moon, a vampire in a gothic mansion, an anthropomorphic plant person, and more.

A large cardboard box is sitting in the middle of your secret lab.

Eh.

A hyperdimensional cardboard box is sitting in the middle of your cyberdwelling.

Better.

There is replay value in seeing what stories are associated to each identity.

Endings
Earlier I said that what you create has no effect on the game’s outcome. Technically, that’s not the case for a few locations. It’s superficial, however.

You discuss your biodegradable solenoid valve over a plate of scones with jam and cream, and everyone seems quite taken with it.

Your creation is inserted into the scene without any regard for context. Even if it did have a meaningful impact, the lack of a save function discourages tinkering with these outcomes, leaving no choice but to restart and recraft the basics just to see what would happen if you end the story with an Organic Cosmetic Surgeon.

What I enjoyed most were the outcomes when you reject the workbench.

Themes
This is where the “purposeful” part of my review title comes in. I think GROWBIOTICS does a nice job in conveying the idea of imagination, ingenuity, and the benefit of having a space that is all yours and enables your creativity.

You like to let your sensations have free reign and remind you that you're worth indulging.

Although I suppose this goes in the opposite direction if we decide that the workbench is useless. Still, it embodies the sense of “anything is possible if you put your mind to it.” And if that means crafting a Tall Planet in your greenhouse, so be it.

Visuals
The weaker parts of GROWBOTICS are somewhat offset by the slick, aesthetically pleasing visual design. As a Twine game, it makes a great first impression. Despite the underwhelming gameplay, I had a difficult time stepping away because of how it looks.

There are two colour schemes available, both of which have backgrounds with patterns that add flair without being distraction. It almost gives a “science-like” feel. Text is easy to read and links use trendy colours. AND THE ICONS! I love icons. Every final result has its own icon.

Final thoughts
My title is meant more out of affection.

Some parts I really liked and I was impressed with the author’s commitment in implementing hundreds of makeable items. Unfortunately, any strengths are hindered by the game’s shortcomings. The selling point is product creation, but once this central mechanic is revealed to be superficial, the appeal goes away. Despite the game’s great overall concept, its major flaws result in an unfocused finished final work.

That said, I do think it offers a fun first playthrough. You may not stick with it for long, but it is worth playing for the initial experience. Perhaps you’ll find inspiration in the visual design or character creation. And if you enjoy games that involve crafting things from basic resources, GROWBOTICS may especially interest you.

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.

You are an A.I. of a maternity ward. You’ve calculated that humanity is on the verge of being wiped out by human-driven climate collapse. But today, a child was born. Somehow you just know that this child will be the one to save the human race.

Tabula Rasa is a Twine game that revolves around a single action: inputting numerical values to create the “perfect” family for the child. If the child is going to save the world they need an adequate family, right? It’s all up to you!

Gameplay
The child’s family is defined by four qualities, such as wealth, that you set by typing a number from one to five into a text box. Then you press enter.

(…25 years go by…)

The game then reveals if the child- now an adult- succeeded in saving the planet. The end.

There’s not a lot going on here. It begins and ends in a matter of seconds.

Characters
Despite the child’s status as the “Chosen One,” we don’t know anything about them. As for us… Look, I realize that this game most likely isn’t meant to be taken seriously. Even so, I found the A.I.’s entitlement to be extremely off-putting.

Never mind the child's biological parents.

Wait a minute. There’s no moral consideration to this whatsoever. No acknowledgement of what the parents may think. No follow up, nothing. (But humanity is on the line!) Nope, it still bugs me.

Story
I don’t even know where to start. The game is too short to truly have a story.

By your calculations, this child is the absolute last chance for humanity.

Out of all the A.I.s on the planet, the one that steps up to save the day is some random A.I. in a hospital that (somehow) has the foresight to know that this specific child will be the Chosen One to save humanity? The logistics of it all. Make. No. Sense.

??? You’re an A.I. who took a child from their parents because you thought you knew what was best for everyone. What makes you the expert on what the “right” family would be for this child? Everything in the game is underscored by this outrageous fact.

Perhaps the author intends this to be a silly game. If so, it misses the target. The player is more inclined to fuss over the details than to find it humorous. And if the goal is to share a message about saving the planet, the endings have no basis for discussion.

Your child grew up happy, healthy, and well-adjusted! And also uninclined to do anything about global warming.

What kind of message is this? Being well-adjusted means you won’t do anything about global warming?

Endings
I will say, I was motivated to find all six endings. The column on the left side of the screen keeps track of the endings you’ve reached. For example, if you reach Ending 2, a “2” lights on the column. Something about this really made me want to see all six numbers light up. No gaps between numbers. I had to find all six.

And I did. (Spoiler - click to show)Ending 1 is the “win” ending.

Visuals
I appreciate that Tabula Rasa offers more than Twine’s default appearance. A black and white image of a forest is used as a backdrop. The image does look a bit like something you might find in a horror game. However, it does an excellent job at making the white text stand out. It’s noticeable enough to keep things interesting. And yet, you hardly notice it’s there. The seafoam blue links were also well-chosen.

Final thoughts
Do I give Tabula Rasa one or two stars? The gameplay is non-existent, and the story is pretty much the same way. I really can’t tell what kind of experience the author had in mind for the player. Everything about it seems to fall short.

What gets me (aside from the child-snatching A.I.) is that the central gameplay mechanic is reduced to the player punching in numbers to see what sticks rather than engaging the player in any meaningful way.

On the other hand, it did have enough of a draw for me to want to find every ending. And I must admit that the design choices elevate the overall quality. There are plenty of ways it could be worse…

What the heck. Two stars.

You were only a courier until you agreed to run deliveries for the resistance and even then, you had no further involvement.

And yet, here you are, trapped in a lab with law enforcement closing in…

Masks is a short Twine game about protest and defiance in the face of brute force. You play as a courier in the middle of a delivery gone sideways. It brought you to a university campus lab, but the recipients have vanished. Meanwhile, city-wide protests prevent you from leaving.

Gameplay
Gameplay is linear and involves waiting for the inevitable raid by law enforcement. It begins in the lab where we've been hiding for several days. Equipment in the lab monitors the air quality and sound levels in the room. We soon learn why: law enforcement’s go-to tactic against dissenters is tear gas and loud noise.

Every night the police blast a playlist of weaponized sound through the streets below.

There's not much for us to do than to look out the window and wait. The turning point occurs when (Spoiler - click to show)we decide to open the package we were tasked to deliver. Inside are some masks. The player selects a mask to wear and waits as the door is torn down. Game ends.

I’ve got mixed feelings about this. While it’s a suspenseful way to end the game, it also leaves the player wanting more from their experience.

Story/Themes
While details are kept at a minimum, it portrays a society undergoing a spike in violence against civilian protesters. Most of these protestors appear to be students. Aside from that, all we know is that something is happening. The game was inspired by the Hong Kong 2019 protests but leaves the game’s story open-ended for the player.

Design
Overall appearance consists of a basic white screen, large grey text, and blue links. Word-count is kept to a minimum. A creative feature is the use of colour-coded icons on the left side of the screen that depicts air quality and sound levels. This allows us to see when these levels become unbearable for our character.

An acoustic cannon perforates your bones.

It doesn’t take long for the levels to go from green to red.

Masks also demonstrates how timed text can build suspense at key moments. Here, text automatically changes as the situation escalates, emphasizing the inevitable descent of police forces on your hiding spot.

An explosion out in the hallway rocks the lab. They’re here.

The game ends with (Spoiler - click to show)a ten second countdown as the barricaded door- your only exit- is torn down. This is effective in making the player feel just as helpless as the protagonist.

Final thoughts
As an overall concept, Masks is a well-rounded game especially being only 2-3 minutes long. However, the content’s depth is surface-deep. I understand the game limits its exposition to be more open-ended. The downside of this sparseness is loss of the subtly behind the protagonist’s situation, making it difficult to find deeper insights.

Nonetheless, Masks is a game that stands out for both its meaningful subject matter and creative implementation. The author knows how to build a suspenseful scene with a smaller word-count. If you’re looking for an uncomplicated game with themes on protest, try Masks.