I FINALLY SAT DOWN AND WAS ABLE TO PLAY THIS. I ended up actually playing on Steam bc this didn't want to launch on my mac, so I'll leave a review there too, but that is less important than communicating How Much I Loved This.
Spoiler-free part first:
The ending was perfect, and perfectly cathartic. The build-up to it was so moving and beautiful and messy. There was so much in her hurt and pain and emptiness I could relate to, and the hope I felt at the end is the kind of hope you can only feel by really and truly coming to terms with misery. That was so moving and beautifully done.
[spoilers next padding a bit for safety]
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Spoilers WARNING SPOILERS but I really needed to talk about this:
The instant it started to become clear that he was also experiencing the loop was the moment this was really solidified as excellent. The delicious and terrible dramatic irony of it being increasingly clear to the reader that he also has lived these lives again and again but her not realizing because she is so far from being a person anymore and so destroyed by her grief. Sole critique is I kind of wanted an ending where she goes back for one more loop specifically to tell him he's a shithead for not disclosing to her that he was also looping until after he dies so they can never talk about it, SMH. Yes I understand this would completely destroy the entire point being that she has to let go and she has to move on and there will always be things left unsaid and they have already spent too many lifetimes together and she needs to experience the future. That said. I still think he kind of deserves it HFDLSFJSKD
OK but like legit, real talk, this was amazing work. I'm so glad you were able to finish what you started, that finale was worth every effort that you and the team put in. Games that make me want to live again. Thank you for making this.