If I Wasn't Shy

In the Apollo 18 Album, this game has you play as a teenage boy working as a store clerk. A lot happens around you, and you can look and examine, but you can't do much.

Or can you? On my second play through, armed with knowledge from the mini-sequel Fingertips: All Alone, I tried something else. And this is where the game shines; your attempts to do something unlock a lot of your real feelings.

I felt like this game captured a lot of the feeling of a teenager. Although it is short, it managed to meet my criteria of being polished, descriptive, having interactivity that draws you in, and affecting me emotionally.

It's always a treat to uncover something you missed. I missed it while I was beta testing. I thought I tried everything. But looking here and seeing the author had an alternative ending in mind, I--well, I sat down and found it, and what's more, (Spoiler - click to show)it makes sense in the context of its sequel All Alone. And it's very satisfying, and I don't want to spoil it if he doesn't.

But the characterization is very good, and if you only get the default ending, you'll have a few laughs and sympathy for the poor trapped character waiting for the grocery store to close so he can do...well, something, he guesses. This is all done without too much weighty angst, as the cashier observes other people who are probably about as unhappy as he is. In fact it's fun to unlock his frustrations.

I'm not going to rate this, because it feels like a conflict of interest as a beta tester. However, it is one of those games with a hidden ending that may not be quite as raucous or jolting or "a-ha" as The Ascot, but--it makes sense, and it made me smile and replay the sequel, and if you're an author, you may hope to do something like that for your readers.