> by @ by Aaron A. Reed profile 2010 Web Site

About the Story

On the surface, > seems to be a traditional adventure game, featuring treasure, an NPC, a puzzle, and a happy ending. However, matters are complicated by the realization that the work's purported author is actually a character within the story, calling into question the objectivity of the narrated events. Deeper interpretations are possible once one examines the source code to reveal the gender of the supposed author, implicating the player character as a cheapskate customer trying to skip out on a poor but brave male prostitute determined to receive payment. In this interpretation, the piece's title takes on new significance, invoking not only the standard IF prompt with its promise of agency, but also the cultural perceptions of worthlessness familiar to marginalized members of society like sex workers. Does the prostitute-narrator think he is "greater than" the player? Or does the player value his or her own character over the NPC? If the player makes the moral choice to make payment before attempting to leave, how does this color the interpretation of the game's ending message?

Game Details