Words Left Unsaid

THIS WAS FANTASTIC, I loved how it addressed that kind of emptiness when you lose a friend - not because you got into a fight or something happened, but because you just drifted apart. 

The writing is very clean, natural, and well-written. The animated start menu is really snazzy, and I love how the words look like balloons! I also think that the muted varied color palette really gives this vibe of a "party that isn't going so well." The music is REALLY good, to the point where I actually went to look who the artist was before remembering that the dev also did the music LOL it's really catchy, and the varied instruments create this simultaneously nostalgic and chaotic feeling that really fits the game well. As it progresses, it slowly becomes more suffocating, more anxious - matching the tone of the game. 

The art is very cute, and I love the details of the outfit and overall design. From the floral prints you can tell that Rose isn't really a "party person," especially considering how she keeps in headphones to drown out the people around her, putting this "invisible" barrier up - showing how disconnected she is from the party. 

===SPOILERS===

The situation presented is a poignant and relatable one. Everyone loses friends as they grow up, for one reason or another. And as you grow up, you change. Rose has come to her former friend/crush's birthday party - somehow feeling obligated to come as a result of the lingering attachment, and wondering if there's anything left of it. She starts to question the friendship, wondering what drew her to the friend in the first place. Maybe it's a sign of her immaturity during high school, when she tried hard to spend time with people she didn't really mesh with. Maybe it's a sign of how much she has changed. As her monologue progresses, there's a distinct loneliness, as Rose sees how her friend has moved on from her, having fun with new people as she sits on the sidelines. However, there's also an empowering note. Rose recognizes that trying to pursue this friendship would come at the cost of not being true to herself. They've walked different paths and have different interests and social circles now. The game is both about mourning the loss of a friendship and celebrating moving on in life, to new people. 

I like the ambiguity between friendship and love that's used here. Rose's crush is only mentioned briefly in game (in a single line, if I recall) - and otherwise she talks about the relationship in relatively broad terms. And it's appropriate - the emotions at play here are equally relevant to friendship and love. It doesn't matter if you're reflecting on the loss of a friend or a crush - the sense of emptiness and confusion is the same. 

In the end, Rose never goes to talk to her friend, made clear by the title - "Words Left Unsaid." It's an appropriately melancholic conclusion, and one that applies to a lot of relationships in life. Oftentimes you never get that real sense of "finality" to a relationship - you just drift apart, and one day you suddenly realize that you're not friends anymore. In the end Rose never finds an answer, and part of her thinks that she shouldn't have come, but she appreciates having the time to think and work through her feelings. It's ambiguous and gray, just like the end to the friendship was, but there's a sense of comfort to it, too.

Overall, I really loved the theme and execution of this game! Fantastic work! (Especially on that music, BANGER)

A lovely, bittersweet, and introspective story about growing up and drifting apart from old friends, as well as from our old selves. I was drawn in right from the start, and I've got to say - the floating balloon-letters in the main menu was a really nice extra touch! Great job with this O2A2 jam entry. :)

Hey! I played the game!

First of all, I really loved the vibes of the game. The main menu looked particularly great, but I really appreciated the mood, the lights, the ambiance! Even the pose Rose was drawn in participated to it! The music track also contributed to it all in an amazing way!

For the story, it was quite endearing to me. It reminded me of my... youth... *is about to cry realising he's old*

More seriously, it reminded me of these years that followed high school: you try to make plans with your friends, but you fail because you are all too busy and have different schedules. And when you finally meet, you realise that they have changed, you've changed too and sometimes too much to really find the connection you had with them in high school. That felt quite bittersweet to me when I was 18/19, but with the years, I've learnt to look peacefully at it: it's just part of life, you meet people, you spend a few years with them, then your roads diverge, only leaving you with sweet memories of the time spent together.

You really did great, Esbi, it was very poignant! Congrats!