Canvas Keepsakes

In this Twine story, you play as a down-on-their-luck artist who is trying to sell a painting. Unusually, you have the ability to enter your paintings and retrieve things from them, including magical creatures, called Artifexes. You usually keep one 'keepsake' from each of your 'canvases'. You need to sell a painting in order to keep on top of bills but there's a problem with your newest painting (and your newest buyer).

There are three things I liked about this game:

-The real-life parts were convincing. Our character seemed like a lot of artistic-type young people I know, in the way they act, the language they use, their relationship with family. The parts where the dishes just aren't done and that makes them too depressed to do the dishes, and that makes it hard to do anything, is very real. I also suffer from depression, and it changed my life when someone said that I shouldn't feel guilty for using paper plates if it improves the rest of my life. I do that now and it's really cut down on the amount of dishes I have to do. I also make sure not to buy too many dishes so that it can't get overwhelming. Anyway, I related to this a lot.

-The magical parts seemed consistent and well-thought-out. It felt like part of a TV show or series and the kind of thing where people could keep wikis on the info, as opposed to the kind of slapdash 'use your imagination and focus on your feelings' magic I often write.

-The choices felt like there were real consequences and reasons to pick both. Even if there weren't consequences some times, choosing to be angry at your jerky but lovable cat or apologizing to it felt like it mattered.