My impression of We the Giants after playing it is that, with some more elements, it could’ve been a lot more successful in engaging the individual player and encouraging more people to play. (This isn’t to criticize the creator really; it’s more so what would've been cool to add.)
I think the simplicity of the aesthetic does accomplish what it sets out to do. The design of the “giants” are charming and identifiable thanks to their obvious eye; the quotes are deliberately chosen to fit the theme of sacrifice; the eerie, throbbing background music - as well as the quiet cricket noises signifying nighttime - help create an unsettling atmosphere that suggests something big is about to be revealed to the player. I appreciated how the shift function to zoom out and see the entire “level” was representative of seeing something bigger than yourself.
The first giant’s advice being related to baking soda and vinegar as a cleaning product (is this the same for everyone?) sort of dulled the experience, however; it was pretty mundane and sounded more like something off a lifehack listicle than the final words of someone sacrificing themselves for the advancement of their species. Perhaps the first sacrifice would have been more striking if the giant had said something more profound? When it was my turn to make the "sacrifice", though, I did end up seriously thinking what 140 character long wisdom I would impart if it were the last thing I would say before sacrificing myself for a greater cause.
Furthermore, the build up to the sacrifice of the first giant and then yourself did not involve any investment in the character, the other characters, or the species of the whole. It would be more startling to see the first sacrifice if the player lived the life of the giants, was taught their other customs, the importance of the yellow star, was able to meet with many more players and build relationships, and similar activities to invest the player into the worldbuilding. The final decision would also seem to have more personal ramifications this way; when I got there the sacrifice was more of a game progression necessity than an engaging/conflicted choice that needed to be made.
I think, however, even if there was some time to get acquainted with the "giants," there is something inherent about the way network capabilities are embedded into the game that causes the player to feel a bit disconnected from the narrative of the game. It is arguably the experience of reading "real" messages that "real" people leave behind that undermines the "scripted" interactions with any of the characters in the game, regardless of whether they are giving us practical advice about baking soda or not. Perhaps it was wise for "We the Giants" to invest more of its real-estate on the design of a collective multiplayer goal instead of enhancing a single-player experience that would ultimately be somewhat undermined by…
I will admit, We The Giants proved to be frustrating for me (mainly because I had issues trying to sacrifice myself at the end of the game). That said, the baking soda advice gave me something to think about, both in your and Hurston's line of thinking. I do agree that the provision of a cleaning tip as the instructor giant's final words cheapens the magnitude of sacrifice - however, that cheapening also relieved some of the pressure for me to provide something deep and profound when it came to my turn to sacrifice myself. I also found myself thinking about those 140 characters as my final words (albeit a bit melodramatically), and in that pressure, I felt the urge…
I actually found the first giants advice about baking soda to be helpful. I think it did a good job of emphasizing the range of advice that people can give. Not everything has to be a huge jaw dropping comment that changes your whole life. Sometimes, regular, ordinary people just want to give you a bit of help, a slice of their wisdom. Regardless, it's something they felt would be helpful and considered a gift. Plus, by "lowering the bar" in some sense, it eases stress on the player. Especially considering that the players could be from a range of ages. A practical person may see that and be happy for the advice, or a child may see it and…