16 | LPM | CONTAMINATED SPACE
16 | LPM | CONTAMINATED SPACE
by: Kanderwund
Progress:
- I read through to both endings in about 8 minutes or so.
Engagement with Horror Genre:
- This is a sci fi horror piece that focuses on the isolation and loneliness of distant space travel, and how that might affect someone’s mental state. There is also a significant body horror component regarding the infestation of alien worms that occurs.
Things I Appreciated:
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I thought this was a really interesting snapshot of a character’s mindset. When I reached the choice point between the endings, it felt correct—or rather, natural to the character—to embrace and accept the parasites. The tone of the piece is reassuring, even as it describes grotesque physiological changes that occur as a result of the infection. What it reminded me the most of, honestly, is the appeal of cults? To take someone isolated, and offer them a sense of purpose, and convince them that it is a good thing to become part of something greater than themselves. I felt like the parasites use those manipulation tactics in a way that aligns with the protagonist’s conscious and subconscious desires revealed throughout the piece.
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I liked the use of font to distinguish between the protagonist and the voice of the worms. And further, how the perspective of the worms gradually grows, taking over the narrative completely (emphasizing how they have taken over the protagonist’s body and mind)
Miscellaneous Comments/Recommendations:
- Something odd happens when you click on the second star—a page of text flickers before disappearing to be replaced with something else. This seems like an error, in the sense that there isn’t enough time in that fraction of a second to actually read whatever is on that page (it looks glitchy). But it could also not be a mistake, and be some kind of subliminal imagery to help disorient the reader, given what the narrative is about.
What I learned about IF writing/game design:
- A detail that I liked here were the large, clickable stars that appear on their own on certain pages. I think in general, symbols/unicode are underutilized in text pieces, but it’s a great way to add some character to the narrative, as happened here.
Memorable Moment:
- The eerily beautiful description of the worms, “They hang suspended from silver threads on the ceiling. They have light silvery bodies, faintly luminescent, like stars.” It gives the impression of something otherworldly, silkworms that have spun up the matter of the universe, visions that have a spiritual quality to pull the protagonist in deeper to their worm-cult.