Stowaway

Adapted from a SpringThing25 Review

Played: 4/8/25
Playtime: 15m, 5 endings

What is the line between dream logic and Dada? The obvious answer is, that depends on the dreamer. Dream logic is pretty famously associated with a deeper, sub-logical collection of images and scenes that feel and flow naturally in the moment, but become bafflingly disconnected when considered in retrospect. Dada, by contrast, intends to shock in the moment with dissonance. That is arguably its entire point. These are not opposing states of a dichotomy though, these are points on a continuum.

Ok, I am obviously ignoring the most important thing about Dada, its political motivations in its historical context. Maybe I’m just talking about Surrealism. Dada is just a much more fun word to say though, so I’m sticking with it.

Stowaway opens with the titular protagonist, but quickly spirals from a Treasure Island vibe into something fractured and weird. And honestly, kind of fun. As you navigate the ship, to initially uncertain purpose, maybe to steal some food, it quickly becomes apparent via navigation links that the setting is mutable and uncertain. It spins into wildly different spaces and settings in the dreamiest of dreamlogic connectivity. You encounter a wild variety of fantasy, sci-fi and otherwise unexpected NPCs, in service of loose fetch/use IF puzzle play, before cresting to an abrupt ending. Series of endings really, depending on your path.

Ah ha! I see you now, game! You kept me off balance for a bit, but you are really one of those “collect-all-the-endings” games! So let’s do that! Here’s the thing. For a work this short, this bonkers and varied, it has a remarkably narrow and similar suite of end states, different in detail but pretty samey in effect. This work was not going to have a ‘plot’ or ‘character’ based arc of setup and resolution. It could have an artistic arc, though. Treat its belligerent reality-defiance AS the character, develop this dynamic from its early discovery, through its escalation and expansion into a crescendo of weird dissonance.

Instead, it was kind of like we found a Golden Ticket, experienced the wonder of the Wonka factory, but then decided to just sell it to Nestle’s. For me, these kinds of works hit much better when the ending-collection is as or MORE disparate, bonkers and unpredictable than the midgame. Like, instead of a corporate buyout we get on a glass space elevator and fight cosmic turds or something.

I appreciate what the work was doing, and doing so economically, but I wish it commit to its Dada all the way to the end. Ings.

Horror Icon: Freddie
Vibe: Surrealist
Polish: Textured
Gimme the Wheel! : If this were my project, I would really explode the ending space, both in number and variety. Make them every bit as surprising and disconnected as the steps that got us there.

Polish scale: Gleaming, Smooth, Textured, Rough, Distressed
Gimme the Wheel: What I would do next, if it were my project.