I uh, should've read the warnings before I started, lol!
This game was really cool! The concept and design were really nice, and as a person with depression (as well as anxiety and dysphoria, woo!) it felt very real and relatable. The frustration and disgust in particular is 100% accurate to my experience. And I appreciate the message at the end.
That said, I do think the positive message is slightly overshadowed by the jumpscare and scary movie vibes right after the player admits their depression. That moment is what took me aback and while I liked it, I feel like leaning so heavily on the 'depression is scarier than any boogie man monster' concept is counter-productive for some if you're trying to send an encouraging message. I definitely felt more anxious about the in-game scary thing at that moment than the real life reminder the game was trying to give me. Also, the prompt to get dressed on day two feels kinda broken? I understand they're supposed to be way harder, but every other prompt on day two was either doable or, once failed, still progressed the dialogue. I had to try to get dressed 10+ times before it worked.
Overall though, this was really cool. I love the art style, the cat, the gradual shift in colors as you fail activities on day two, the self-talk loop... this is a very intimate portrayal of mental illness that I think will make people who struggle with it feel seen and people who don't have a slightly better understanding of it. And as a horror fan, I'm enjoying the trend of people sympathetically incorporating mental illness into the genre to explore and vent those issues. Thanks for sharing this!