Crimson Witness

Charming and brief, albeit slightly disorienting at times. The game is relatively simple but has a variety of fairy tale-like and vaguely foreboding moments that suit its dream themes well, and some lovely bits of imagery. The writing is relatively brief and not prose-heavy, and there aren't really puzzles to solve aside from figuring out which senses to use or directions to go in.

As a semi-new IF player, I didn't understand on my first playthrough that you can listen TO things after you've already heard them a first time, and I wish that there was a little more indication about which things were important in a scene. In certain locations, very important information could be easily passed by without an indication that there was anything important to glean in this area (Spoiler - click to show)for example, listening to the bird in the Untouched Forest, which I probably wouldn't have known about at all if I hadn't read the hints. Such information could easily be passed over on a second or even third playthrough if someone doesn't notice it or read the walkthrough/hints, which could make gameplay frustrating.

There is not much agency to be had in this game since it pulls you to its locations, but this does give the effect that you are inside the dream.

As it says in the description, this game not only encourages but expects you to play it through a second time. I usually like to feel like I got a complete story during the first playthrough, but I played it through a second time to get the "winning" ending. While the "winning" ending was a bit more satisfying, the playthrough experience is mostly that (Spoiler - click to show)after the first playthrough you already know how to do everything and are just repeating your actions. I do wish that it should be more feasible to get the main ending on the first time through so that players don't have to do the process again for a satisfying ending, but it does mention a second playthrough right there in the description.

Where the game really shines is in its atmosphere. The powerlessness of having things shift unexpectedly around you, the feeling of being lost, foxes appearing everywhere, and the feeling that you shouldn't be here all do a lovely job of putting you in its protagonist's frightened shoes. The plot of dreamlike wanderings is just about perfect for the twenty-minute runtime.