A couple of weeks ago, I dove into this without knowing anything beyond some glowing reviews and a random post on another thread that mentioned this game.
What a gem! This story has genuine heart, something that I find remarkably rare. The writer has crafted an incredible world with vivid descriptions that strike the perfect balance. It's detailed enough to paint a clear picture without overwhelming you like some HTML games tend to do. Every scene has purpose. The dialogue feels natural while revealing the world, advancing events, and developing characters. There's no exposition dump here either. The well-paced story steadily reveals more about the world as you proceed. The writer clearly knows their craft and how to weave a compelling narrative. For two days, I was totally immersed in the world of TPT.
The real standout, for me, is the character writing. I'm firmly in the camp that believes story
is character, and I can't praise this aspect enough. The cast is colorful and packed with unique individuals, each with their own voice, history, goals, and personality. Even one-off characters are given their due attention. I've rarely encountered stories (adult or otherwise) that manage to make
every single character interesting. This one does.
Most importantly, there's the protagonist. I dislike empty vessels, and I absolutely hate moronic main characters. Unfortunately, most stories and games that feature submissive protagonists, or at least when that trait is optional, make them pathetic morons, with the instincts and intelligence of a kakapo bird. Here, though, the protagonist isn't some passive, mindless wanderer. Despite the dire situation he's thrown into, he actively tries to use his wits and assets to persevere. That spy motherfucker treats you like a dog? You can try to fight back in whatever limited capacity you can. It’s refreshing. I could write more walls of text about everything I loved, but I think the point is made.
I do have a few minor nitpicks, but honestly, they barely affect the overall experience. That said, I actually stopped at a certain point in the story.
From browsing this thread, I've seen that a number of other players had issues with that same scene too. I know it sounds contradictory praising the game while simultaneously not finishing it because I didn't like how a particular event played out. I realize I'm in the minority here though, and for most people, it doesn't detract from the overall themes and quality of the writing.
On the subject of AI: I understand why most people are against it and automatically dismiss projects that use it. Generative AI could very well represent the single largest act of theft in human history: thousands of years of writing, art, experience, and innovation fed into machines, often to the detriment of the very people whose work fuels them. That said, AI is here to stay and will only become more prevalent in our daily lives. I don't think we should automatically dismiss products that utilize it, nor can we.
For a game like this, wouldn't some visual art complement the writing and enhance the experience? It already has character portraits, and I loved them. While some people prefer imagining things over being shown explicit visuals, I think for many of us who are imagination-challenged, original art, whether hand-drawn, CG, or even AI-generated, adds to the immersion and worldbuilding when done well, although I personally prefer text only to real porn images that are ubiquitous with HTML games. Sasha Grey is
not my roommate.
Who would it hurt if the developer incorporated some AI-generated art? If the choice were between commissioning artists and using AI, then yes, it would hurt artists. But if it's between no art at all and some well-executed AI art, I'd prefer the latter.
It's obvious that a lot of love and effort went into making this game. If the dev were pulling in several thousand dollars a month, commissioning original art from artists would be feasible. But they're not. This is too niche a project to have widespread popularity and support (I hope it gets more support and recognition). With some effort and the right tools, you could inject even more life into an already strong story.
This short animation took more time and effort than I initially anticipated, but I loved seeing the characters come to life. I could have done some stuff better, like making Simone more petite or walk like a normal person, but I realized it too late and making changes would have required even more time.
