When playing through CURTAIN yesterday, I couldn't help but feel emotional. The game uses its extremely pixelated graphics to great affect, as they almost cause you to not focus on how the game looks, but rather how it makes you feel. As a result of Kaci's remarks on me as the player, I began feeling more and more inadequate as gameplay went on. The actual gameplay, which consists of you clicking on objects in the household you and Kaci share, followed by a trip into the shower (that somehow transports you forward in time), is simple enough, but by staying in one locale, I began to feel trapped by the circumstances I was placed in by the game developer. A notable moment in the game is when you click on objects in the house when it's red, and Kaci tells you that you can't leave, since she would be nothing without you. Obviously, this is a sign of emotional abuse, but is this readily apparent in our lives? There's countless songs that use the idea of someone being nothing without their significant other as an indication of true love. Even in my own relationships, I've definitely contemplated my life without that person, and considered that new life to be worse than the one I was currently living. But to me, that's the beauty of a game like CURTAIN. It does so much in so little. The game, which honestly took me 20 minutes to complete, made a big impact on me. It showed to me that even though relationships may be heavily coveted, it's important to continue evaluating them and what other close friends think of it, because we were placed into an abusive relationship in this game. Rebecca was constantly worried for us because the signs were there for her, but trapped in our love for Kaci and the band, we couldn't escape until it was too late. This idea evokes the last screen of the game, where you look into the mirror and the game reads, "You are nothing." I hope that after playing this game, I can see the signs in future relationships before they reach this point of abuse, although most people wouldn't consider this explicit abuse. Treat your partners right in every facet, whether that be emotionally or physically, people!
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I really like the way you describe feeling trapped by the game developer. I think it’s worth noting that the feeling of being trapped is particularly strong in Curtain, and I don’t think it’s just because you can’t leave the house. Plenty of FP games take place in one location which the player is meant to explore, so Curtain is doing something different. I agree that this feeling comes not from the game’s visuals, but from the emotion it elicits in players, especially given the fact that there are no bodies in the game. None of the characters appear imposing, threatening, or gentle; they don’t have appearances. Through only their words, the other characters influence you and belittle you. I…
I definitely agree with how CURTAIN works more to evoke emotion in the player rather than have the player focus on the visuals. I also found it interesting how the game worked not only to evoke a general emotion for everyone but that it worked to bring out specific emotions/responses in myself. After reading several of Kaci's responses, I found myself not wanting to click on different objects in order to avoid generating uncomfortable responses. I even played through again to see if there were certain objects I could avoid while still being able to progress in the game. After reflecting on my experience playing CURTAIN, I find it interesting that it a lot easier to point out the unhealthy…