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Will you answer the call?, December 12, 2023~~ Updated Review from the 2022 IFComp bc I replayed it recently ~~
Am I My Brother's Keeper? is a short mystery Texture game focusing on the themes of grief and loss. You play as Sara, whose sister Sofìa has disappeared without a word. That is until your phone rings once more. The game has two endings.
Though short and fairly linear, this was still an interesting game, where the story pulls you in from the first page. There is a mystery afoot, but you are powerless in how to solve it. The desperation of the PC wanting to find her sister is gripping, but the most disheartening thing is her realisation about her relationship with her sister, and her struggles of having been enough for her, of having reciprocated enough. The mystery is even enhanced with all the questions left unanswered (what truly happened to the sister? who is this mysterious figure?) In this game, the writing shines the most.
When I first played it, it had taken me a while to understand the meaning of the title, since there are no brothers ever mentioned in the game. It only made sense when choosing to avoid answering the fated call. The whole Abel and Cain reference makes total sense after playing that route.
Though there are interactive elements on the screen*, there is only one branching block in the game - the phone call - which sets the tone for the rest of the story. After that point, which happens pretty early on, it may feel more like the game is pulling you towards the end rather than you having agency through these paths.
*options of which I wished it would disappear after use rather than stay on the screen.