My creation

What’s the purpose of IF reviews? Why do we write them? Is it to point out issues in a work to help authors improve? To point out issues in a work to warn potential players away? “Too buggy, don’t bother.” I’ve written reviews in an effort to better understand a work; to encourage others to play it; to give hopefully helpful feedback to the author. I’ve written reviews to call out harmful content in a work, solely for the purpose of “I want it on the record that this is in here and I don’t think that’s okay.” I’ve written reviews that were overly harsh and nitpicky, reviews I wouldn’t write today.

This game doesn’t need any more reviews saying that it needed testing. One of those is enough; it’s a statement that doesn’t need repeating. But I don’t think we can ever have too many reviews engaging with the content and themes of a work. And if reviews get written that only engage with the technical side of a game, why not one that only engages with the story?

I played this one back at the beginning of the comp, and it’s stuck with me. “A baby is crying. His baby. His baby is crying. And you are him, your baby is crying.” The PC’s weariness, helplessness; how can you take care of another human being when you feel so exhausted and broken? Dragging your aching body around the bed. You care about your child, of course you do, but in this moment you don’t know what to do for them. You’re a single parent, living in relative poverty. Can you give this being you’ve brought into the world a good life?

You feel your own vocal cords contracting and stinging, as if you are the one who has been crying all this time.

You try to comfort the baby, rocking it and shushing, but the baby keeps crying despite your best efforts.

There’s an added layer revealed at the end, that the PC, George, is a trans man. He asks his child:

"Will you grow up to be trans, like me? Will I influence you? Can you be trans if you don't get an assigned gender at birth? I certainly haven't assigned you anything...assigned basket at birth only. I hope the fact that i am raising you on my own won't like...scar you in any way. Isn't that what people say too, if kids only get one gender role parent instead of two, that turns them gay? Well, if you do turn out gay at least I can help you. Maybe if you turned out straight that would be the real issue, we would have no common ground and slowly grow apart...well, that would be very silly of us. Let's not let that happen."

These reflections on being a poor, trans single parent without much of a support network are moving. And I love seeing George maintain a sense of humor despite the circumstances. I think the answer to my question above is “yes”; George clearly loves his child and is determined to do his best for them, despite his fear and uncertainty.

"I want to give you so much more than I have, now. I don't know what I'm doing. I haven't known since I found out you were coming. One day I was just going about my life, and the next I was going to be a parent. [...] i still feel like it will not be enough, like i will not be enough."

You/George manage to briefly soothe the baby, but when they start crying again, the game ends with you doing what’s needed, pushing through the weariness and pain for the sake of the brand new human who's now in your care:

Only that bottle will do now, probably. You lay it back in its basket, and prepare to get up.