Game 1
This game invoked a lot of empathy from me, since I have always heard of stories but never got to fully put myself in their position. Although this game had very few choices to choose from and the consequences to each of my choices were very extreme, it shed light on how difficult their lives are and how their choices are usually very limited. It showed how much they needed to sacrifice in order to survive which raised awareness on how their lives are. It increased my knowledge on the hardships that they had to go through. One thing that could have been improved is giving more options in the answers to make the story connect more with the player.
Game 2
As soon as I started playing the game, I was able to fully put myself in the shoes of the character who is facing all the hardships. This made me discover how to choose what to sacrifice in order to meet all my needs as well as what is too urgent and cannot be sacrificed if I need to survive. This game was very realistic in its choices which made it enjoyable and relatable. It also had a progress bar which helped in making my decisions. I believe that the ratio between the information and the game itself was very balanced and the game did not feel like it was too long, so I wouldn’t change anything about it.
Game 3
This game made me feel uncomfortable with how relatable some of the situations were, and sometimes I would catch myself delving too deep into the game and had to take a step back to be able to continue. Although the paragraphs were quite long which became exhausting at some point, I believe that all the details were essential for the progress of the story. Sometimes, it would show many options that would have been healthier for the person to choose, but they were crossed out and not available as a choice and we are forced to choose something that makes the situation worse. This made the game seem even more relatable because even though sometimes you may have solutions to your problems, you may not have the energy to do any of them. One of the things that made the game even more unsettling, was the fact that there was no progress bar. I don’t know if it was done on purpose to make the experience more realistic, or if it was unintentional, but it definitely affected the overall experience. The overall game felt more like I was reading a story than playing a game, but I felt like it raised awareness on the important topic of depression and made it in a very relatable way. However, the reading sections where a bit too long and could have been summarized to make the game more interactive or have more decisions during the game.
Game 4
This game felt extremely short, it got straight to the point and gave you immediate consequences on your actions. This actually made the game more comprehensible, however it did not have any graphics which made it feel like I wasn’t really playing a game and it wasn’t as enjoyable as the others. One thing I learned was that masks can sometimes increase social anxiety. One thing I would change about the game is that I would add more graphics and make it a bit longer.
Game 5
I liked how from the very beginning it gave you the choice to choose which role you wanted to play (a single parent, in a stable relationship, etc..). All the situations that the mom had to go through were very realistic which made the game feel very relatable and made me feel empathetic towards mothers who need to prioritize their children and their happiness over their own. The game went straight to the point and showed very realistic consequences to all of the decisions made which was great.
Game 6
It was good that we were given the choice to choose whether we are playing the role of a male or a female. The game overall spread awareness on how judgmental or biased you can be without intending to which was interesting. However, each question was completely unrelated to the one before and you would only get an indication that you made the right (or wrong) decision in a brief statement after the choice is made. This makes the player less attached to the events of the game and it seems less relatable, so I would suggest making a small statement to connect the questions to each other and make it seem more complete. That way, the player can feel like they have achieved something big at the end of the game.
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