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Thank you so much for the thoughtful analysis! It makes us happy to see that someone put as much thought into playing the game as we did in creating it, and you've honestly put down a lot of the things we wished to convey in a much more eloquent manner than I myself could have haha

I like media with robot protagonists - or maybe even more broadly for me, inhuman ones - for the same reasons too! Ironically, I think such works give an interesting insight into the human condition by stripping away human biases and making us learn them anew, if that makes sense?

Although you mentioned that labeling it as a "cautionary tale about the dangers of humanizing AI" felt "reductive", I love your interpretation and I think that it also highlights the complement: the tragedy of "machinizing" (is that even a real word?) a human. I think Amaya is as much a reflection of Nova as Nova is of her - someone whose purpose in life is to make her company, her superiors, her audience, and him "happy".

Once again, thanks for taking the time to play the game and letting us know your impressions!

Really, really glad to see an android x creator story that taps into the theme of autonomy as a manufactured being/someone's "offspring"! Vi's conflict between wanting to individuality for herself vs. her ingrained instinct of piety and idolization towards her "Mother" is so heartbreaking and relatable. And the way that Lydia wishes to strip her of all of her autonomy to project her own desires on her while also baiting Vi with kindness, praise, and smiles is horrifying... yet, unfortunately, people like her really do exist (even if not to the same extent, like parents who try to control the trajectory of their children's lives). I really like the way you took a sci-fi concept to use as a reflection of cycles of abuse that could happen in real life. Narrative aside, I also gotta say the character designs are so adorable!

Like many others, I was blown away by the style of this game and the game page, too!  Despite the comic art style, the story feels very grounded and the characters feel very real.  

[SPOILER]

I love the whole "the grass is greener on the other side" that the two have going on: Zoey being frustrated by how she's stuck in place compared to Cherry whom she perceives as successful, and Cherry who is too busy moving too fast that she envies Zoey for being able to take a breather and appreciate the more "fun" things in life. When you don't have a window (heh) to peer into others' lives, it's easy to imagine that they're living a better life than you.

I'm such a big fan of the way the narrative is presented! Such a brilliant concept that is brilliantly executed, I was really invested in where the story was going and frustrated (in a good way) by the unreliability of the narrator. Also, the use of dolls as sprites seems like such a simple decision but it adds so much to the story, emphasizing how artificial the whole charade is.

A story about magical girl(s) that explores the messy aspects of identity construction and escapism/idolization? Count me in!! The portrayal of the main characters made me so uncomfortable (in a good way), it's as if they never fully grew up from the events that shaped their adolescence, now coupled with the very destructive tendencies adults are capable of. Stories like Puella Magi Madoka Magica show us how potentially messed up it is to put young, vulnerable girls on the frontline of fighting dangerous world-ending threats, but I like that this story shows the repercussions of it later into their lives and the impact of their existence on other young, vulnerable girls. The beautiful art really elevates the story by its cutesy and old anime vibes. It's kinda nostalgic, which fits the themes all the more.

P.S. I accidentally clicked into the History log during the teddy bear scene. 10/10 would recommend doing that.

This hits so hard! The depiction of Ingrid's all-consuming shame, guilt, and disgust towards herself is so harrowing (and relatable). I love how, instead of simply portraying Ingrid as a victim of circumstance, you depicted the way that repression can manifest as something violent and terrible to one's surroundings. The art and music work really well in telling this story, and I gotta admit that some of the imagery made my skin crawl (as it should!)

This was an absolutely crazy ride from start to finish! The prose is superb. I loved some of the ways you used the text itself to convey things (e.g. the use of capitalization and lack thereof to illustrate a shift in the dynamics at one point of the story) - so fitting for the protagonist as a creative writing teacher. The illustrations are also really beautiful. Amazing job!

Amazing work! The art is absolutely stunning and really nails the atmosphere of the story and the themes that it tries to convey. I love the unique world-building for such a short story, and the use of the gameplay mechanics (VN-style choices) to make the players directly engage with the topic of consent... and the illusion of choice.

Wow, there are so many things to unpack from this game (that I can't get into here for fear of spoiling it). The execution - art, dialogue, pacing, everything - is so unique and so good. All these aspects really come together to hammer in the suffocating existence of the protagonist, who can't escape being defined (both by herself and the world around her) by the persona of "Leslie Lee".

Brilliant work!