The Depression Quest game was a very interesting experience. Over the course of the last few days , I have tried to play it 6 times to see as many possible outcomes. What I took note of the most is that while choosing the healthiest choices early on does improve parts of the narrative it does not necessarily lead to a satisfying, positive ending. This is perhaps my biggest critique of the game because it is often told to those with mental illnesses that early intervention will lead to a better outcome. I think this message could still be achieved in Depression Quest if the writer of this narrative decided to use the epilogue not as a final state but rather as a continuous work in progress with much prospect that this character, in time, will achieve a healthy life.
Like most have said, this story utilizes the Twine format in a very informative way with a very clear message. I particularly really liked the embedded pictures throughout the narrative. This activity really highlights the need to get technology in the hands of many different people. This would be a really great activity (along with some other supplemented material) to teach high school-aged kids about emotional health and its importance in our lives and the ways the computer science field is not regulated to intense data analytics or strictly “coding”.
To me, I was also somewhat confused over just what was the core intentions of this website as well. Honestly, all I really saw of it first was that it was a representation of a person under the effects of depression. And true, even the most seemingly rational decisions could lead to not-so-happy endings. But I thought that was the purpose. I don’t really know that much on the psychology on depression, but what I do know is that it’s heavy and can be destructive to a person’s life. But what I do know is that it can have great effects on a person, and there are various types and impacts depression has. Each one impacts the person, and they more often than not, cannot overcome it on their own, and even with professional help can take much time, and arguably, each person needs care that is best suited for both them and what they are going through. Depression is a complicated and sad topic, but maybe that was the entire reason of Depression Quest, showing people it’s not as simple as a multiple choice test, but requires a deeper look into it.