I have a genuine appreciation for interactive fiction games and a passion for writing. I initially wanted to have an ambitious narrative for this project. When I realized the assignment centered on empathy, I figured that empathy required a form of experiential immersion into another person’s reality—something games facilitate exceptionally well. In interactive fiction specifically, I believe this means providing choices with meaningful consequences for each decision. This signals to players that they possess agency and can influence the game’s trajectory.
When I learned we would be using Twine, I was optimistic. I view Twine as a highly accessible platform for individuals like myself with limited coding experience. I knew that many developers have created remarkable games using this platform, and was excited to use it for my project. Unfortunately, I found that I needed time to watch instructional guides and complete tutorials—time that I simply did not have during this part of the quarter. Consequently, I pivoted toward leveraging my writing strengths, attempting to balance a second-person immersive narrative driven by dialogue that would feel authentic to an emotionally charged experience, while simultaneously providing players with a sense of responsibility and impact.
I am pleased that I could write about such a dark subject matter in a game format. My previous game jams resulted in works that were somewhat comedic or focused on mundane slice-of-life narratives. While I frequently write about death in other contexts, I had never developed a game centered on mortality, much less one addressing suicide specifically. I felt adequately challenged by figuring out how to approach the subject matter without appearing crass, insensitive, or disingenuous.
I was particularly struck by the training materials I encountered for crisis hotline volunteers. These materials discussed a paradigm shift on suicide in framing intervention language when communicating with callers in crisis that I hadn’t expected. The manuals also addressed protocols for managing repeat callers and individuals who contact hotlines for sexual purposes. My only prior exposure to this type of training came through a friend who volunteered at a hotline; this project significantly expanded my understanding of the preparation required for such positions.
Moving forward, I intend to experiment more extensively with Twine during my own time. I hope to get more involved in December during the break between academic quarters. I want to follow a few peer-recommended tutorials to develop a deeper understanding of Twine’s functionality. My goal is to utilize the platform more in future projects.
