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Review

Who tricks who at the end?, January 5, 2025
Related reviews: ectocomp

You promise is a short Faustian horror game made in Twine, in which you make a deal with a mystical being (devil? or maybe fae with the insistence of giving your name?) to solve your money problems. Like any magical deals, it's a lot about give and take... and *how* you take. I found 7 different endings, with only one "good" one.

This was a fun take on the deal-with-the-devil trope, giving you different options to deal with your Honoured Guest, each branch as entertaining as the next. Trying to trick HG into giving you what you want without, essentially, paying the price, was trickier than I thought. Getting away with it *is* the challenge, and HG will take you up on your words - *the exact words* you utter. After all, you promise It your words are true.

And the consequences are... varied - your literal words thrown back at you (heart, soul, and all) - and fitting to each path taken (in a sort of monkey-paw kind-of-way sometimes). The styling of that final passage is particularly on point, as tension builds and the danger is imminent. Like a creepy Cheschire Cat about to devour you whole because you slighted it.
Though after the second or third ending found, the timer on the animation drags on a little too long. Great the first time around tho!

One final point on the "good" ending, because while there is a way to best HG and get the money, it doesn't *feel* good, or like you actually won. (Spoiler - click to show)You don't even touch it when you see it in your account, you wait weeks and months, and still you wait. As if, the second you spend the money, HG will appear still and give you your comeuppance. The tension is still there, lingering. Finding this one last really felt like a full circle moment.

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