This week’s reading was about Hypertext, which was an interesting read. I want to make the time to read the essay “As We May Think”. I do not have time this week because of exams, work, and other commitments but I will make time next week!

For this week’s hands-on activity, we were instructed to play a Twine game and document our experience. The game I chose is Depression Quest. I chose this game because I have depression. This is not something that I talk about often, but I am not ashamed or embarrassed about it. I wanted to see how “realistic” this game was from the perspective of someone with depression. Additionally, I asked my wonderful boyfriend to play this game as well. My boyfriend has never had depression or any mental health problems, but he has struggled to understand how depression affects me and other people. Unfortunately, some mental health problems are difficult to understand if you have never experienced them.

When I played the game, I felt that it was realistic in terms of the story and the effects of depression on the main character. The thoughts inside of his head, the only choices of actions you can take in the game, and the descriptions of how he feels are all real. This was not a triggering experience for me, but rather a reminder of what it’s like to be in that dark place.

It was different from a traditional game because the player does not always have a “choice” in the matter of the main character. The game was made to not allow the player to choose a course of action that a non-depressed person would choose. That plays to the purpose of the game which is to be a learning experience for what depression is actually like. While some people may think, why can’t I choose the option where the character just goes to sleep, arrives late to work, or goes to the doctor for help? The answer is simple: depression. Depression will lie to you and tell you that you don’t need help, you can fix it yourself, or that you’re weak if you ask for help. What other type of illness exists that will convince you that you are not actually sick?

This game is like a traditional game because of the setup and plot. It reminds me of games like “Choose Your Story”. It is a similar concept where you act as an animated character and you choose between two choices, like between going to a party or staying home. The difference here is that the “choice” games like these are now popular through apps, not in a browser like Depression Quest.

This was like a traditional short story because it was, well, short. It did not take me much time to read through the different situations. It did pack a lot of detail and emotion into the small “chapters”, which is important when the length of the story is not long.

It was unlike a traditional short story because it places a responsibility into the reader’s hands to make the choice for the main character. In traditional short stories, and stories in general, the plot is already predetermined by the author. It is a fun change to be able to control, at least a small part, what you want the main character to do. It gives the reader power to control the character’s ending.

This type of story is interesting. I think it is an interesting way to think about English in terms of technology. This is a new way to view how writing, science, and technology interact.