If this did happen to the author irl, my condolences. It does not excuse the lack of elements needed for a better minimalist game however. The game itself is a great portrayal of the theme. It is however, quite lacklustre. As other comments have put it, the game does tell a heart wrenching story about life and death. Whilst the game portrays that emotion clearly (use of good writing techniques), it doesn't help that it might have been even more emotional with the right pictures, art, and audio. Even if crude, any small artworks(drawings) and sombre music could have elevated the experience to a higher level than it is right now. Even if it is a "Minimalist" game, it should at least have some music/visuals to accompany the page viewed by the player. There were also some typos in some places ("baited" breath instead of 'bated' breath) and this in of itself could ruin the immersion of the story greatly to anyone already invested halfway through the game. In fact, because of the typo I needed to reinvest myself into the character again. It's always important to double check for visual novels because of this fact. TL;DR, If it is your first time participating in such a big event, consider planning out gameplay elements whilst writing. At the very least, audio or small visuals could have been a big factor in elevating your story to a higher level. The writing is good, moreover it can be even better after some more experience and learning. Nonetheless the story was exceptional.