I have an admittedly futile desire to resist the term “Faustian bargain.” One reason is that the first “big” Faust Stories have unambiguously Christian implications. I don’t necessarily want to bring all of that context to my little review thread. The other is that I see texts featuring encounters with otherworldly entities as part of a larger, legalistic framework. Persephone got in trouble for eating pomegranate seeds, for instance. The invisible world has many rules that bind.
You Promise
Aster Fialla and Jake Gardner
spoilers
Supernatural contract law stories are often advanced or resolved via word games or wordplay. For instance: absent a great deal of luck, the protagonist of You Promise (the Esteemed Host) will discover (unpleasantly) that their words are subject to a kind of malevolent literalism. It is up to the player to carefully evaluate all that is said and heard. Is there any amount of interpretive “play” that would allow our nemesis, the so-called Honored Guest, to twist or misinterpret our words?
It may or may not be surprising that I enjoyed the presentation of this adversary.
It looms in the doorway, imposing yet somehow modest, and carries a fine leather briefcase in one hand, closed with a shining brass combination latch. You don’t know what you expected It to look like, but right now It appears as some sort of businessperson wearing a silk blouse, pencil skirt, and black high heels. The only tip-offs are Its eyes—a ruddy red color, and Its long hair shining like metallic bronze by the light of the moon.
Of course It should appear in professional attire. How fitting!
I think the “good” ending is perfect. The protagonist is unwilling to spend the money. While they say that they might do so soon, it isn’t at all clear whether the money will go to use. Would doing so mark the beginning of a new round of bargaining? Would it renew the relationship between Guest and Host? I felt this ambivalent or anxious conclusion very credible. This leaves me torn, as I would love more of this game but would hate to see the ending change too much.
This is the last La Petite Mort I’ll be looking at! I have a few GG games I want to get to still.