itch.io

incredible game. it changed my life and added $10,000 to my bank account.

Hi Lu!

Visually, this game is so striking. All the 3D text you put into the game and the pixelated visuals add atmosphere to back up the dialogue and exposition. The snow made all of the decisions we needed to make seem urgent, like it was life or death. 

This game made the player make some really difficult choices. Playing through a few times and getting almost all of the endings, it's like there's no real way to "win." My first time through I went to the henhouse and left the meat untouched. Then, I devoured it. Next, I robbed the rich family and was punished for it. My last time through, I went to the poorer family. This was the choice that most subverted my expectations, as this is where the person without a home actually gets to enjoy a meal. Although the game ends here, I'd like to think that our character is able to repay the family who helped them in the future. 

Something that I might suggest if you work on this game more is humanizing the protagonist a bit more. I wish we knew a bit more about them other than the fact that they were homeless. Also, I wish that we had more options than to steal. It enforces dishonesty on the character, and I wanted to be able to explore other options. I know that complicates the game a bit and requires two paths, but it could be an interesting point of expansion. 

Hi Jo!

I really really like the world-building that you managed to flesh out in so little time. The sci-fi city background was a fantastic addition and carried the imagery far. I think my one concern regarding the image was that it made the text a little hard to read at some times, and other times I couldn't find the magenta/blue text because it blended in with the neon of the image, but ultimately its impact was more positive than negative.

I LOVE games like this, where little choices completely determine the ending. There is so much tension in the fast-paced narrative you're going for. The first time I played through, I got the ending where Jessie is shot by Hoard. There was no "Play Agin" button here for some reason, so I had to reset the page. To save time in the future, it would be helpful to have this as an option even if you "lose." The second time, varying my choices in some areas but staying consistent in others, I successfully got her/him/them out alive. Yay!

Hi Kevin!

I played through until I unlocked all of the 5 endings; my first was pretty successful, as I chose the resourceful red option and made it home safely with no dire consequences coming into play. I'm really interested in the relationship that the different colored clothing and text has with the game, as well as what you meant by "easter egg." I admit, after playing, I'm not sure what easter egg is referring to still. My best guess is that the adjective attached to whichever color shirt you choose directly speaks towards your result-- i.e. the "yummy yellow" meaning you're a shark's meal, while the "broken blue" could hint on the storm destroying the ship. Very clever. I liked that "grass green" subverted your expectations, even if you caught on to the key, by resulting in reaching shore but not the correct one. 

The imagery was beautiful and aided the storytelling immensely. It gave the characters personality despite there being very little dialogue between the captain and crew. Five different endings was ambitious, but even though many of the choices were the same, each ending felt fresh. I enjoyed unlocking all of them. As for the intentions you mentioned on Canvas, you definitely succeeded. Most players don't assume that the first choice you make is the most important, but that being the only defining factor in what ending you come away with was surprising.

One bug that I ran into was if you choose to "call company community," there's no tab leading you backward. It was easy to get back to the frame in front of it but the majority of the other nodes looped back so I'm not sure if that was your intention.