When I read, “Twine, the Video-Game Technology for All,” I encountered a range of mixed emotions. On the surface, I value that Twine is so versatile in that it provides a way for people to create games, whether just for entertainment or for therapeutic/public expression like it was for many of the mentioned authors. To go a little deeper, I did appreciate the stories behind the games that the article described. I haven’t really considered gaming before as a means to make art or spread a message. It was only until visiting the Game Art vs. Art Game gallery and reading this article that I have started to come around to the creative potential of gaming. The motives of the game authors like Zoe Quinn and Porpentine were really moving, with their battles of depression and identity.

I clicked on the link for Player 2 and spent some time filling in the prompts and following along with the text. It seems like a good tool to help facilitate introspection and solve problems by bringing the user to acceptance or forgiveness. Its fundamental game play however appears to depend on the user bringing forth a personal problem.

Additionally, I played Ultra Business Tycoon III. This was another game that required following text by clicking links. It was like inception inside the game, for I was a user whose “avatar” was another user who was playing the game. Many text boxes gave back-to-reality descriptions of the “avatar” escaping domestic and relational problems. There was a specific moment of thought that came to me when I saw a particular text from this game:

When I read the last line of this text, I couldn’t help but relate it back to the article itself and how it really only talked about games that were built solely to deal with psychological and emotional problems. Like c’mon, aren’t there any games that focus on celebration or thankfulness? Come to think of it, is there any art anywhere that does, or does art only have meaning when it comes from one’s darkest places? I won’t lie though, I admit I am inclined most of the time to make art to deal with negativity. And honestly I probably will still do that when it comes time to make final projects. Yet I still wonder why the art and games I have experienced aren’t naturally derived from positive notions. Although I appreciate the authors of these games and in no way disrespect their work, I am thankful that Twine isn’t restricted to works with only negative foundations.