Penthesileia

“Good morning, dear. Has anyone ever told you how handsome you are?”

Penthesileia begins with Penny, our protagonist, informing her husband, Achilles, of his good looks before seeing him off to work. It’s a wholesome life.

But the next day, she falters. And he notices.

Gameplay
The gameplay is centered around Penny investigating funky moments where she acts out of turn, forgetting her lines in a script that she doesn’t remember reading. Things like pausing before telling her husband- who is hated by many- about his handsomeness or muddling up his coffee or asking questions. There are no puzzles, only a compelling narrative to sink into.

The author has such a precise, effective way of writing, at leaving the player transfixed about what would happen next without lengthy paragraphs. Some scenes are like being doused in ice cold water. The wham moment in the game is when (Spoiler - click to show)a dinner party is held for high-ranking officials. I won’t spoil it, but the characters did something that made my blood go cold. And then you are asked to participate. Do you? Or will you refuse in a room full of powerful people?

Eventually, you are required to choose between (Spoiler - click to show)sticking with the repetitive luxury of your current life or biting the hand that feeds you.

While the gameplay is mostly linear, you must dig around to reach each ending. I found five total with two of them being nearly identical.

Story
But onto the story.

Penthesileia is a dystopian thriller with political undertones. And perhaps even science fiction since it takes place in the 2060s. Every aspect of daily life revolves around the existence of a Prefect and the Regime. High-ranking officials clamber over each other to gain favor, and restaurants have names such as “In Honor of Our Everlasting Prefect.” And of course, a resistance, named only as “the opposition.”

This is where Penthesileia leans into the science fiction genre. It doesn’t focus on the technicalities because it’s not necessary to tell the story. But there is room for curiosity.

The story of Penthesileia ultimately explores the idea of second chances.

So: Are second chances something we’re given or something we make for ourselves?

Characters
The game’s characters are borrowed from figures in Greek mythology. Even if you are familiar with Greek mythology- Achilles being a more recognizable name- you may not make the connection right away. Let’s look at Achilles first.

Some may recognize the name Achilles from “Achilles’ heel,” which refers to a single weakness capable of bringing down something difficult to destroy. A fatal flaw. In the game, Achilles laments how the Prefect isn’t giving him the recognition he deserves. To him, the Prefect and its Regime are invincible, all-knowing, powerful, and immovable. Unflawed. Except (Spoiler - click to show)he unwittingly becomes the Regime’s “heel” through Penny, if she chooses to bring down the Regime with the flash drive.

The title, Penthesileia, is a slight misspelling of Penthesilea. Penthesilea was an Amazonian queen who brought her army to Troy and fought the Greeks. It’s said that she killed Achilles only for him to be resuscitated by Zeus to allow him to kill her in return- and this act greatly saddened him because he also loved her. Despite this tragedy she is seen as a symbol of triumph amid conflict and great loss. To exhibit strength as a female in a realm dominated by men and encountering love- in a twisted way- while participating in war. In subtle ways, we see this in Penny.

Penny’s connection to Penthesilea is only clear once you start digging for details. The misspelling of Penthesileia and Penthesilea appears to be deliberate. We do get opportunities to learn about Penny’s (Spoiler - click to show)previous life. Examining the photo in the office drawer reveals that Penny’s name was originally Leia. Take a closer look at the title again: PenthesiLEIA. And in the ending where she leaves and takes on a new identity, she tells a customs officer that her name is “Penthesileia,” quietly regaining her past identity as she reaches for a brighter future.

I was curious as to why the author chose to (Spoiler - click to show)model the doctor on Antiope, an Amazon and sister of Penthesilea. There are other Greek figures including Theseus and Diomedes, though they are featured more superficially.

Visuals
Penthesileia uses a basic Twine appearance. Black screen, white text, blue links. Text is easy to read and is gradually revealed as the player clicks on the screen, creating suspense as the player waits for what's next.

Conclusion
In case you read this far, I apologize for the length. I was excited to review this game because it left such a memorable impression.

Penthesileia is a chilling narrative about finding choice while living inside an oppressive system. Penny is a protagonist full of poise and quiet determination. We feel the fragility of her existence as the wife of a powerful man- a man who lives with a target on his back. Her despair at the knowledge that those who create you can destroy you in equal measure. And her exhilaration at discovering the impact, or perhaps chaos, she can make.

If you like dystopian stories that are character focused and force the player to question said character’s status quo, play Penthesileia. It has potent writing mixed in with Greek mythology symbolism. With several endings, it is worth multiple playthroughs.

Maybe there’s more than one way for this to end.

Penthesilea

This is a short twine story about a near-future authoritarian regime where you are wife to one of the highest officials in the nation. And you are a perfectly obedient wife, your husband telling you what to say, what to eat, what to do.

But something's wrong in this strange world, and you find yourself with the capability to resist.

The setting is reminiscent of 1984 (it feels to me like an older time's vision of a dystopian future) and the setup of the regime vs the rebels reminded me of Hunger Games in the way the rich are portrayed. There are some references to Greek mythology for the names, but I didn't see a clear connection between the Greek figure and this game's story, so I think it's just for flavor.

There is interesting interaction in the game, enough that I played twice (once obedient, once rebellious) and there is some non-linearity in the scenes. I found the quality of the writing and the plot structure to be enjoyable, and so I look forward to the other two games by this author. There is some strong profanity.