itch.io

Spoilers below, read at your own risk or something.

Holy shit! Every single prompt throughout the level tied into something else in a future level. Repetition is so powerful as a storytelling device. If we have a pattern, we can break it. We can see the subtle changes. This was brilliant. The "Oh..." on the fourth level is so impactful, the narrator really can't stomach seeing Polly like this.

I got stuck on the final level! I got on the top left elevator, stayed on it, went back down, and then it never went back up again. I had to start over, but I knew it would be worth it. I didn't know JUST how worth it it would be. That ending was heartbreaking.

Nice touch with the stereo panned jump audio, by the way!

To me this is a game about aging, or in general just watching yourself or someone you love grow weaker and weaker. You managed to tell this story in a way only a game can. Only a game can force us to feel slow. A movie can be slow, yes, but to actually feel that the world is against you — to feel weak — you need interactability. Massive applause to you, I love this.

Okay, returning to this after having done a "No it's mine" run. It's not just about aging or deteriorating; it's about opening up to the world,  a desperate plea to not isolate yourself. Polly's colors will always fade, the only difference is her boundaries. If she remains closed off the world stays a colorless place. She dies without leaving a mark on the world, never having opened up. The text of the game states that she shared her color with the world, but maybe we can also interpret the colors as how she sees the world? She has someone who cares about her deeply. Someone who helps her at every turn, someone who won't stop singing her praises, but since she chooses to not share herself with the world she does not connect with anyone. The world remains a dead, gray place.

The different endings make this explicitly clear. "She left some parts behind" vs. "The End". Polly left no impact on the world, only sticking to herself. Maybe there's a "Christmas Carol" lesson in here somewhere as well?

I love this, thank you so much. I'll have to play this more in the future, there might be different in-between endings depending on how much color you share? Aaaaaaa. This is my 52nd rate this jam, and this is probably my favourite so far. A "reset level" button would be a great addition in case you get stuck in an unintentional place, like I did. Other than that, this is perfect.

Polly Gone.
She really did make our world a more colorful place.