Home

Home is interactive fiction, I suppose. I've seen a fair bit of interesting takes on the genre within the Neo-Twiny Jam, even with the 500 word limit. This one is like the Do-It-Yourself book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series.

Well, you're at home. You're presented a short bit of text describing where you are, as well as 2-3 choices to do something, although I don't think this affects the game. Then, you have a box to type whatever you want. Type your thoughts, feelings, or reflections, or perhaps just leave it blank or type something like 'hgiHggiGtrGjidhgdgM'. A timer bar (real time) runs at the bottom of the screen, and takes you to the next page once it runs out.

The game cycles back to the first scenes once you exhaust all of them, while reminding you what you typed earlier. I'm still kinda mixed on this idea. Maybe it's just not for me.

On another note, there was a really soothing feel from the music and color scheme. It was also pretty readable, as far as color selections go.

Home is an atmospheric introspective piece, where, in the course of 12 minutes (or more, if you want), you get to roam the different rooms of a house (the one you grew up in), and reflect as you look around, graze the objects within. There is no real story, just a place. And a space for you to write your thoughts, a minute at a time.

I... don't think I am the target audience for this entry. I was confused for a long time when I started it - granted, I try to get into each entry with as little information as possible, only reading descriptions after playing a bit (or the whole) - and frustrated. The piece gives 2-3 actions in each room, but no response/consequence/acknowledgement to what you did in the previous room (only lists 12 minutes later which action you did and if you wrote notes). As well, each room is described with just a couple of words, but you are stuck there for a minute, regardless of what you're doing.

I just felt like a ghost, swept from one room to the next, trying to interact with the environment but nothing reacting to me.

On the other hand: the interface and sound design is very soothing - if you needed a space for reflection, I think it does manage to create it. And there is something interesting about giving almost full control to the player. Letting you write whatever you want, one minute at a time.