Reviews by crimsonlea

I went into this knowing very little about what to expect, but the short description reminded me of surreal games like Kentucky Route Zero, Signalis, and Paratopic. What I came out of it with was an experience not unlike those games but, perhaps because it's interactive fiction, more affecting and impactful than I ever could have imagined.

I won't get too much into how the game plays because other reviews have done that well. You're exploring various liminal spaces and discovering objects that have significance to the author, all while being haunted by a spaghetti demon that oozed its way out of a Slurpee machine. You're presented with choices, different paths, and a list of specific items to collect.

Possible criticisms I can think of for Slated for Demolition are that it's too sincere or too nebulous. To the first point, I would say that I think we need more sincerity these days, and to the second point, I don't think coming up with your own interpretation for a text is a bad thing. I think that's needed too. The author digs into their past enigmatically but also shines a light on the reader, leaving behind any self-indulgence and attempting (and succeeding) to make a connection through words on a screen.

It's a game about self-reflection, growing up, and forgiving yourself. It's about mental health, with the appropriate content warnings and resource links attached. It's about healing.

This is where things get spoilery. I have a lot to say about the ending, so there's a lot of spoiler-marked text ahead.

A couple of other reviewers mentioned that (Spoiler - click to show)being inserted into the game didn't work for them. Personally, I felt that (Spoiler - click to show)being reached out to in this way fit the game perfectly. The author alludes to the fact that you are indeed playing a game and you are part of the experience multiple times, so it didn't come as a shock in the end. I also feel that this piece was very much written with interplay between the writer and reader in mind, and at its core, isn't that what interactive fiction is anyway? You are often shaping the story through your choices, and you are put into situations that you must react to. There's an organic unity between author and player.