Choice: Texas

Paste Magazine
"Choice: Texas seems unlikely to revolutionize videogames even though it has more to say than most of them. Since going live on May 14, this text-based game about abortion has received very little attention despite numerous 2013 press announcements, including a Christian Post headline that said the game would “encourage” players to get abortions (in the game). Perhaps the game’s lack of self-important and divisive politics has turned some people off — it’s nowhere near as controversial as predicted. In a gaming world where the shock tactics of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and The Walking Dead translate to phony relevance, Choice: Texas is respectfully profound.

Political animals of all stripes might be disappointed when they find that their generalizations about abortion and women aren’t confirmed in Choice: Texas. In the vein of the underrated 9.03m, Choice: Texas avoids both advocacy and insensitivity. More universal than a political manifesto, the game is a reminder that humans are defined by their response to struggle. Choice: Texas emphasizes that a pregnant woman’s decision — as well as the responses of family and friends — is guided by conflicting emotions, practical concerns, and spiritual questioning, not by the philosophical ramblings of loudmouths in the U.S. abortion debate."
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Emily Short's Interactive Storytelling

As fiction, “Choice: Texas” sometimes works well — the story of Leah, the assault victim, contains some awful scenes in which she is unable to confront her attacker directly, and in general her experience is treated in a way that is quietly horrifying but not sensationalizing or leering. Several of the side characters are also well sketched. Sam, Leah’s take-charge sister, comes off as competent, a bit pushy, but ultimately also necessary to Leah. Eric, Alex’s irresponsible teenage boyfriend, is thoroughly punchable. Etc.

But sometimes the story is a bit too obviously about Example Women rather than fully-fleshed-out characters, or goes for a generic Tell rather than Show.
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