Elsewhere

Elsewhere is a Twiny Jam entry, i.e. 300 words or less, but the small scope means that it gets across a large amount of detail without feeling too thin. It treats its problem without sentimentality, by letting the player focus on the practical solutions; much like you'd do in the PC's situation, in fact. (I've never been in this situation, but I've been close enough that I can imagine it.)

I was particularly impressed with its use of real-time changing texts and states. That feature made it feel more like a visual medium (despite there being no images) than any other IF game I've played.

This game was written for the Twiny Jam, meaning this game was written within 300 words. In South America, the Water Wars are raging, but, for you, you're more concerned about your own building's water ration. It starts at midnight, and if you start early enough, maybe you'll have enough for a shower, to flush the toilet and wash your clothes today.

This game, given its brevity, uses the cyclinglink macro to economise on words and to great effect: Mason used it to implement steps of a routine, such as preparing for a shower. This, combined with timed text, created a sense of urgency appropriate to the situation.

The game is limited in scope, but there are hints to a mildly dystopic future - hints of a wider world, and that made it feel less like a short game per se, but rather a limited window into the author's world.

This is a Twiny Jam game, requiring that the game be 300 words or less.

It uses the limited space effectively to comment on social injustice and the blindness of public media.

It' shard to discuss the game more without spoilers:

(Spoiler - click to show)You watch a show about water struggles in faraway places, but you have troubles of your own. With a child at home, you have no water, but you can get a small trickle whenever your neighbor uses their shower. I ended up collecting it in a bucket and dumping it over me, fully clothed.

It made me think about the problems that still exist in developed countries due to income inequality.