Depression Quest was an engrossing experience that was both challenging mentally as well as a well designed use of the Twine platform. Aside from the dense and immersive narrative elements of the game, the removal of certain options was perhaps the most interesting aspect. In most instances, the options removed would be what I would personally have done if these situations were my life; I instead picked what I felt to be the best, most healthy alternative. These limited options seem to be the purpose of the narrative, though; living with depression doesn’t mean I have the right mentality to make all these decisions, and so I might resort to less healthy behaviors. Some of these decisions were also ones I’ve seen people close to me, including in my own family, have to go through. These moments where full control was limited allowed me to understand how one with depression might feel when facing even basic life decisions.

This narrative displays the scope and power of digital tools; an individual can be briefly submerged in the life of someone else and understand that psyche, developing more empathy in the process. While the ending I achieved in Depression Quest was probably the most positive one, in some cases the outcomes of my selection would be harrowing to experience in real life. The immersive quality of Twine made it so that I was invested in each outcome, making each passage more life-like and experiential; I was the protagonist and each emotion and event was mine. Much of our discussion so far has focused on how computers and their programs are best viewed within the context of their development. Outcomes are solutions to the brainstormed problems, and in this case, the digital choose-you-own adventure format disseminated information that allowed me to have a more-intense of experience conditions that many around me suffer each day.