Twine Poetry

Artist's Statement:

Creating my twine poem game was an extremely new and challenging experience for me. I've never been the best at creating twine games in the first place, but adding the additional components of aesthetic elements and poetic themes made this assignment pretty pressing for a non-programmer. However, I feel like I was able to develop a game that accurately expresses the ideas behind the poem Do not go gentle into that goodnight and that it is an accurate reflection of the best of my abilities.
Because the poem is about resisting death and holding tight to life, the background is an electrocardiogram, indicating to the player that he/she is on the verge of death. The options the player is given throughout the game are evolving segments of the poem itself and poetic options that contradict fighting to stay alive. Any option that is not a part of the poem itself will lead the player to die, and the options are enticing, reminding the player of the pain it is to fight for survival and the peace that comes with death. Eventually, the player reaches the end of the first stanza of the poem, only to start over in an endless loop, again reminding the player that fighting against death is not an enjoyable or invigorating experience. Unlike, say, Super Mario Bros., where dying is frustrating, there is sort of a relief in death for this game.
There were several other components I wanted to include, such as sound, but after hours of research and trying to make it work, I ended up having to settle with what I was able to implement. I've come to the conclusion that while the idea was interesting, twine just isn't meant to be an immersive, aesthetic experience; it's not what the program is designed for. Trying to make those elements work with the programming felt like going against the grain. From this experience I realized that while new media is the blending of different elements to create new and innovative possibilities, it's also unproductive to try and force a square cog into a round hole. New media seems to have developed naturally, and David's point about VR being a gimmick has some real validity, especially if the technology doesn't end up being as entertaining or useful.
Ultimately, this was a great learning assignment for me, and I'm pleased with the game. I tested it on my wife, and found that she had a lot of thoughts based on the themes. In that way, I feel it was effective, and may be inspired to keep trying to develop more intricate games on twine.