Reviews by manonamora

As the Eye Can See is a short emotional kinetic Twine piece, about the day before Halloween, and its meaning for the narrator throughout the year. From the contemporary date (Oct, 30h, 2024), the story portrays multiple vignettes of that day throughout the years, in reverse chronology.

It is both beautiful and haunting, in the way those recollection threads the life of our teenage narrator. It tells us her life has become quite lonely, following the loss of (Spoiler - click to show)her mother (an event that her father does not (wish to) discuss with her, nor does she seem willing to ask) - going as far, even, as rejecting the connections between those memories and things tied to them (like the familiar beautiful cottonwood which makes her feel too sentimental). With the writing focusing on details and things, all is actually said in hushed words, fleeting unacknowledged mentions, and unrecoverable memories. As if ghosts of the past were omnipresent, but unreachable or ignored.

This was a very melancholic piece, full of beautiful hidden meanings deepening with each new iteration of the day before Halloween.

SPILL YOUR GUT is the third instalment of the GUT series, after GUT THE MOVIE, and the spoof GUT THE MOVIE 2: GUT ves. TER THE TWOVIES, where we check in on the original cast of GUT, Gemma, Uma, Tilla, and their manager Stace, after the movie was completed (or was it ever made?). There are four paths to follow, one for each individual, with the request to follow the above order.

Now, I don’t like being told what to do and started with Stace, essentially spoiling myself with the outcome of the previous paths… or did I?
Confused by the tone of that path (reminding me of the vibes of GUT2), I reloaded and followed the instructions in the game. Granted, there was a good reason for that.

Gemma’s, Uma’s and Tilla’s paths are completely different from Stace. While the later is in the third person, with the same interface as the starting page, the formers focuses on inner thoughts and bright, duo-tones, stylised and distinctive and restrictive interfaces. But more so, the gameplay of each path builds on the previous one: Gemma’s deep taunting red in a limited N/S direction, Uma’s cool emotional blue opening to all four main cardinal directions, and Tilla’s envious and tortuous greens adding the up/down option. All to finish with the linear definitive and decided Stace section, looping us back to the start.

But the contrast is not just in the visual and gameplay between the paths, but also in its content. The RBG section is enmeshed with anxious vibes, in the way the characters talk about themselves, their fears and insecurities, and the repetition of screens (indicating the end of content in that direction). Gemma, in kill the internet, feels hopeless and lonely, and struggles to find a purpose moving forward (funnily, you can only move back and forth between sections). Uma, in call your girlfriend, ruminates over her past and current relationships, the good, the bad and the ugly, and their inability to stay emotionally connected while with someone (her thoughts littered in a maze without much sense). Tilla, in sell your dreams, hides her true feelings (about the movie and herself) behind a criticism of society, which she has left being by moving to the Moon (layers discoverable by taking the elevator). Each are tortured in their own ways, either barred from opening a specific door, or unable to ever find that wanted exit.
On the other hand, Stance’s section has a more absurd take. She isn’t riddled with insecurities or worries, only caring really with eating chips. She flips the script on its head, going against the expectations, taunting the monster instead of being taunted (who breaks itself and sorta the game), unbothered with the change of/breaks in the environment or herself - as long as there are chips, she is content.
This contrast is made extra obvious with the repeated “I am lonely/scared/tried” screens in RBG, which Stance’s action can be reduced to “Eat chips”.

Strangely, though most of the game is very different from the previous iterations of GUT, it is surprisingly still much in line with the series as a whole. Through RBG, you are forced through these anxious-riddled paths, tortured along the characters, unable - like them - to escape (unless you reload the page), stuck in their head… Only to return to the absurdity of Stace’s section, greatly enhanced as it calls for the opposite almost of feeling. Stace is never stuck, whether she acts or not, circling through a death/rebirth unending cycle, always moving, and changing - while still staying the same. Stace is both the anchor of RBG, and the much needed comedic relief.

A third opus I didn’t know I wanted or needed. Neither better nor worse than the previous GUT. Only leaving me with the want of more sequels!

This is a tales in two parts, two POV, where things are not quite what they seem. You are given the choice of two paths: to follow the story of the boy or the girl (you play the other as well), with the actions from the first part of the story affecting the second, and both the ending.

I managed to get a fairly good ending, by playing it smartly - choosing any option to get the hell out of here, I'm not following dumb horror actions xD. The writings about what is going on are on the wall, the game not always been very subtle about it.
I did like the mirroring of the actions between both paths. It does not fit quite completely, both PC being somewhat unreliable narrators, but it makes for an eerie experience.

I also chose to play the "boy" path before the "girl" one, which ends up working in favour of the game - the former pushing more of a damsel in distress trope, while the latter has a badass taking charge girl. The writing is much superior in the "girl" path than in the "boy" one.

There is an interesting core with this game, and I hope the author will update/polish it in the future!

This was a short-ish story about fantasy prophesies and predestination. The game does an interesting thing by using a different POV to the tale, from the monster's position rather than the saviour, as well has hinting that the monster and the saviour were friends. The ending (notification of one) will end depending on your actions (the monster's), and its trust in its friend.
Also, don't forget to click the link in the ending page, even if the text looks familiar...

That said, the writing didn't quite click with me. Nothing seems to be wrong with it, it just didn't grab me as much as the premise of the game itself.

There were also some issue with the bold formatting in latter passages. I don't think this was on purpose

As the title hints, this short sci-fi story is predetermined. Your ship is task to investigate an area, only to essentially land in an ambush. The game includes multiple endings, all of which end fairly abruptly (if there is no link on the page, it's an ending).

The building of the tension in the action sequence is intriguing, but I wish the different elements (NPCs and such) were introduced a bit more and were more fleshed out. You're king of thrown into the situation, making things a bit confusing.
I also thought you could have a bit more agency in what to do during the height of the action sequence. A lot of things seem to be happening, but you (the player) have not much control over the PC.

I do wish this had been a completed game rather than a demo, because it was quite fun to play through it.
Choose the UNFINISHED paths at your own risk... You may run into dead ends...

From what is there, it gives off vibes of those 20s-40s mysteries, like your Agatha Christies, with a locked room murder or an unexpected setting for a murder to take place (ZEPPLIN! DON'T SMOKE xD). You play as an up-n-comer detective, still needed to prove to the world you have what it takes to do the job and solved mysteries!

The game takes an interesting approach with exposition by making you write a letter to set your background and reasons for being. The writing overall is pretty playful and fun, reminiscing on those old mystery pulp, and playing with their tone and tropes.

As for interacting with your environment, the game offers you multiple traits, affecting the way you act around NPCs or interact with things. It reminded be a bit of The Thirty Nine Steps in that way. To solve the murder and get information out of people, you can also spend Detective Points (very TTRPG/Fate system), though it didn't seem you could earn some in this current state.

I am looking forward to see how the game pans out...

I got inside (with some struggles), looked around (with some struggles), and... got stuck, I think?

This kinetic parser is a follow-up to Ranaway, which is coded the same format, continuing the use of unconventional keys and commands to progress through the story (like L for leave instead of Look). The issue is that commands are not always made obvious, nor what is interactible either. The bug didn't help either (that or it was the ending?).

I still don't know what to make of this game just yet. There was no blurb on the game page, no tag line on the submission... nothing. I had no expectations, and I still know know what to think about it.

The game opens on an broken item, asking you whether you'd like to discard it or stop [the game], with the first option showing you a different object, and then a different one, and a different one... This continues until you either choose stop or discard the 27 items (of different levels of broken) coded inside the game.
For some objects, you get an extra option: ruminate on the item.

Anyway... I just know it made me sad when I reached the end.

Holy shit, the whiplash from this one. I was warned by the content warning before playing the game (READ THEM, FOR YOUR SAKE), and still I did not expect how much it would affect me. I expected some strange stuff, I always do with catsket's work, but how the gruesomeness was introduced twisted my stomach.

Gruesome content aside, the writing is VERY vivid. The descriptions of the photographs inside the book paint quite the pictures (hehehe, bad pun). Even if short, they say just enough to be able to imagine those faded and maybe yellowed shots.

The start is actually quite lovely, depicting a fun solo roadtrip in nature, where you end up meeting someone cool, and they tag along for the rest of the summer. Shenanigans ensue, obviously. But the activities of two young peeps on a summer roadtrip are really not what you'd expect. They seemed to have fun... some gruesome fun!

Anyway... I will stay away from antique stores for now, and definitely leave weird photobooks alone...

This was a short and fun “political” simulator set in Ancient Rome, where your goal is to try to restore the delicate balance in the Senate (or not) while avoiding causing too many riots (or go for the chaos), or even losing the city altogether (or go for that!). Personally, my first attempt failed the plebs.

The mechanic is pretty simple. You have three important causes where you can levy taxes or spend funds, and the option to nudge the other three Senators (randomly generated at the start) to change their votes through different approaches. I've tried convincing them all, it worked like a charm! Well... only to change their minds, I did cause some riots.

In between sessions, you get to enjoy life, make new connection, and potentially raise your status as a Senator (though I am not sure how much your choices there influence the game). The playful writing is more obvious in this part than during the Senate session.