Coming Out Simulator 2014

[Architecture]

I finally took some time to sit down and play through this. I'm tempted to say it's the best-written game I've ever played. I really, really, really liked this.

 

Please take the time to play through it if you haven't already done so:

 

http://ncase.itch.io/coming-out-simulator-2014

[clyde]

Did anyone else think that the

cat-clock is a The Graduate allusion

?

[Architecture]

It's entirely possible that was in Nicky's household at the time the story takes place. Though I will say that it immediately made me think of Back to the Future.

 

Perhaps I should spoiler that.

[Spenny]

That was quite powerful. Really made me feel pressure about the choices it gives you. I can't write words good, but wow, I had a pretty intense reaction to that.

[itsamoose]

That was a wonderful little game, the author's sense of humor really made it something special.

 

Manther

[Gwardinen]

Yeah, the sense of humour was very charming. The most interesting thing about it to me was just how BIZARRE the mother's reactions felt. I know people like the father character, but I really have no experience with her frame of mind.

[Gormongous]

Yeah, the sense of humour was very charming. The most interesting thing about it to me was just how BIZARRE the mother's reactions felt. I know people like the father character, but I really have no experience with her frame of mind.

 

I wish I didn't, but I knew more than one mother growing up in Texas who was obsessed with the possibility that their womanly influences, however loving, were turning their sons gay. If you buy into the quasi-Freudian understanding that a lot of people have about homosexuality and just plain sexuality, it makes a sick kind of sense, but then again, why should you buy into it? It's insane, evil, and wrong.

 

I loved this game, too. I kept trying to push the "I'm your son and you should love me no matter what" angle and it was horribly engrossing how it blew up in my face. I haven't felt this shaken by such a short game since Analogue: A Hate Story, which is high praise from me.

[Bjorn]

I wish I didn't, but I knew more than one mother growing up in Texas who was obsessed with the possibility that their womanly influences, however loving, were turning their sons gay. If you buy into the quasi-Freudian understanding that a lot of people have about homosexuality and just plain sexuality, it makes a sick kind of sense, but then again, why should you buy into it? It's insane, evil, and wrong.

 

I loved this game, too. I kept trying to push the "I'm your son and you should love me no matter what" angle and it was horribly engrossing how it blew up in my face. I haven't felt this shaken by such a short game since Analogue: A Hate Story, which is high praise from me.

 

I've almost never seen Analogue pop up around here.  Is it that good?

 

And I need to play COS:2014.  Going out of town this weekend, might make for a good laptop game on the road. 

[Gormongous]

I've almost never seen Analogue pop up around here.  Is it that good?

 

It's a visual novel with very little to distinguish it to someone unfamiliar or adverse to that format, but it and its sequel Hate Plus are incredible feminist works that I think about at least once a week. If you have the time, they're worth it, as are all of Love's games (Digital: A Love Story and don't take it personally babe, it's just not your story).

 

It looks like there's a thread here on them, which I apparently made myself. Well!

[Bjorn]

It's a visual novel with very little to distinguish it to someone unfamiliar or adverse to that format, but it and its sequel Hate Plus are incredible feminist works that I think about at least once a week. If you have the time, they're worth it, as are all of Love's games (Digital: A Love Story and don't take it personally babe, it's just not your story).

 

It looks like there's a thread here on them, which I apparently made myself. Well!

 

Hey, at least I hadn't posted in that thread and had forum amnesia about it (which is totally a thing I've done).  I'm familiar with the style of game, and have almost bought both Hate games multiple times, but talked myself out of them for some reason.  Your opinion is one I respect a lot, and between these comments and your first few comments in that thread, those are clearly things I need to try whether they're ultimately something I'm into or not.

[Architecture]

That was a wonderful little game, the author's sense of humor really made it something special.

 

Manther

...MANTHER

[clyde]

Did anyone else think that the

cat-clock is a The Graduate allusion

?

 

Here is the scene I was thinking of.

[Badfinger]

I hated this.

 

The interaction was powerful when it was just Nicky with the mom. I was frustrated (as intended) with the dad. I hated the intro and the outro. I think making the player responses idiotic was a terrible decision. It really dulled the message. I didn't find it funny at all. I know this had nothing to do with the actual game content but the horribly loud coffee slurping noises put me on edge and completely took me out of anything I was feeling. I was the enemy before the game even started.

 

I genuinely apologize, because I know there are important things buried in here, but I truly did not like the experience, and not in an empathetic way. I feel like a bad person.

[Ghobot]

Yeah, the sense of humour was very charming. The most interesting thing about it to me was just how BIZARRE the mother's reactions felt. I know people like the father character, but I really have no experience with her frame of mind.

 

People like the father character? I mean I get that he's sorta sympathetic with the vaguely-meta plays-online-games bit, but in the ending that I wound up with had the Father

punching Nicky in the face

. 

 

So how divergent are the different coming out stories? I appreciated that Nicky gives the multiple post-coming out endings up front (or out back, as it were), but I'd be interested to see how the other choices played out. I guess I could play through it again but it's a bit late here and...discussion.

[Gormongous]

People like the father character?

 

I think he means that he knows people who are like the father character. Nicky's father is charming enough, but it's blatantly just a veneer, whichever of the routes you take with him.

[Ghobot]

I think he means that he knows people who are like the father character. Nicky's father is charming enough, but it's blatantly just a veneer, whichever of the routes you take with him.

 

Oh this makes a lot more sense. 

[Architecture]

I hated this.

 

The interaction was powerful when it was just Nicky with the mom. I was frustrated (as intended) with the dad. I hated the intro and the outro. I think making the player responses idiotic was a terrible decision. It really dulled the message. I didn't find it funny at all. I know this had nothing to do with the actual game content but the horribly loud coffee slurping noises put me on edge and completely took me out of anything I was feeling. I was the enemy before the game even started.

 

I genuinely apologize, because I know there are important things buried in here, but I truly did not like the experience, and not in an empathetic way. I feel like a bad person.

I actually find this to be a really interesting, valid criticism. Certainly some of the writing comes off a bit cloying and meme-driven, but I think the believability of both the characters and situations is something that is rarely--if ever--pulled off in video games. It's also staged as a series of SMS messages (which ties into the themes of the game and Nicky's personal history), which are usually colloquial in nature. I can tell you that even though most eloquent people are capable of annoying shorthand when texting.

 

To be clear, I didn't find the writing funny but I did find it authentic. And that in and of itself should be praised, I think.