itch.io

hey, i loved this! thank you! gonna recommend it to folks. really cool rumination on the interaction between expression of body/self with the social/physical.

1. In some ways! It lent a lot of my decisions a significantly larger amount of Weight. I tend to play things sincerely, in a way, on my first time and... every time, but still. It added weight.

2. I centrally imagined SAL as a large branching series of thought processses represented by differently coloured lines, intersecting and swirling in different patterns, in this conversation radiating "out from" (but really into) the voice synthesiser. I imagined Ash as being a fat person with a pleasant blouse, glasses, and looking fairly tired. I mentally assumed both of them to likely be nonbinary, with SAL specifically agender to begin with and then considering some genders as an experiment, or performing them according to people's preferences in worse times.

3. I made the choice that "love is just a word", and that SAL asked for more time. It left inconclusively, in a way, with them waiting for another answer, but still continuing with their interactions.

4. I loved the game, honestly. For the most part, it felt very flexible in the options that it presented to you in approaching the roleplay of the situation, allowing a variety of interpretations and choices/philosophies, which is really refreshing in contrast to many works centered on AI which tend to be oddly human-centric, either in making AI some "lacking" other, a patronising depiction of them "struggling to catch up" or simply ignoring some of the effects that kind of existence and environment might have when applicable. all of those come from an idea of humanity as some unique and innately superior thing oftentimes, and gets stuck in my weird little mental teeth. So thanks <3. I think if I had *a* criticism, it would be a fairly abstract one applicable to.. basically any work with choices of "oh i picked this option but I had a different interpretation of it going in" which isn't something anyone can account for. it's a good game i liked it thank you kind story maker

5. made me FULFILLED, will probably FULFILL my friend a lil hopefully. It made me feel seen in some ways? Which is both surprising and unsurprising in a number of ways. Of course, trans neurodivergent person suckles upon the AI story, etc etc, but it also spoke to some of my own considerations of my feelings. I feel warm afterwards. Gave me some inspiration of my own. Again, thanks.

6. I'd love to see these characters again! this works really well as a self contained story and i fear like me asking for this wouldn't translate, but... hm. maybe as like part of a cast of characters in a wider thing? I don't know, I just want to watch them move around more. I'm fond of them.

7. I see their relationship becoming... something.. *readable* as romantic? I think too much stock is put in the idea of Romance as being some true definable category of feelings. to me, it's always just seemed like... intense fondness? delight in someone's existence? but maybe that's just how I work. Either way, I see them being close, caring friends, romance, plantonic, or something else that these cool cats make happen. Too caring and thoughtful and interested in each other not to. I'd like to think they'd be some people who really explored a variety of different ways of perceiving things and existing together.

9. I just really enjoyed this! Would love to know if there's more things like this that you'd recommend, no pressure of course, and I'll also do the advanced action of "looking at your itch.io page". I really enjoyed this, and i think you have a lovely writing style and approach to this.

i contemplated the cat, having entered the cage. the evils it had committed. but perhaps that's what i came there to witness. theoretically there might be something more after that, but I can't find it, and so I've decided that me stopping there is for big intellectual heroes who understand themes.

a cute little game, had a lovely time, thank you.

beautiful! thanks for making this!