Ah Lim's Chicken Rice, #01-08A

This short Twine game was entered in Ectocomp in the Petite Mort division.

It features a father running a food stall who sees his daughter after a long separation. There are supernatural elements, as well as LGBTQ elements.

The food stall descriptions are delightful, with sounds, smells, and sights described with a complex preparation for a meal. The supernatural elements are varied and interesting as well.

There seems to be an Ah Lim Chicken Rice in Singapore, but other aspects could place it in Malaysia, perhaps. There are names that sound Cantonese and names that seem to have Muslim origins.

Overall, a nice blend of culture and human emotion.

While quite short, this entry was very effective in conveying feelings of sadness, griefs, and longing, as well as joy and hope, even if fleeting. With little lords, the writing is quite powerful in its descriptions and depictions, leaving a lot of unsaid between the lines. The player is left feeling the holes and connecting the dots, to see the full picture (or at least a clearer one). It is quite tragic, and beautiful.