Mesmalie

THE woman to stab glass into my arms for <3<3<3

One of those games that oozes charm on the store page and actually walks the walk. 11/10 can't wait for the next project

What a fascinating little creature Mesmer is. This is a game about being a witch- or, more accurately, about not being a witch. You come to a worn down cabin in the woods following an accident caused by your own magicks, and Mesmer, part of a coven of three, trains you in the art of magic. Though, as the game progresses, it becomes clear that Mesmer is not what she seems. Not that she's going to kill you in this cabin in the middle of nowhere, no no, just that she needs your help completing a ritual that she can't on her own. The most striking thing about this game's design is the "get out" button. At any time, you can decide to leave Mesmer's cabin and go home. At every turn, you're asked to consider whether you really want to see what happens next. Of course, this is true of all video games, but framing it diegetically forces you to really think about it. You can cut your losses and get a narrative conclusion, or you can keep going and try to understand just what is going on with Mesmer. Reaching the credits, then, is an exercise in compassion. You will learn things about Mesmer, and her coven, things you never wanted to know, things you would never imagine. And you must choose to stay. You must choose to continue your lessons with her. You must choose to carry out the ritual in her stead. At every turn, you must choose. The remainder of this review will be heavy in spoilers. At the end of it all, the ritual kills you, in this cabin, in the middle of nowhere. You drink a tasteless, odorless liquid, and fall to the ground, dead. The credits scroll in the back of your eyelids, and your choices are laid bare. What you did, what you missed, the game keeps track of it all. Everything you do matters. After this, you are given hope. There is an alternate path, one where you avert your fate, while helping Mesmer at the same time. And that's what matters, by now, with all the other chances you've had to leave and not look back, the only thing you want from a good ending is to help Mesmer get past what happened that fateful thursday. Again, an exercise in compassion. You learn the truth, and must choose to remain and stop the ritual. If you do the ritual as planned, you will die. If you leave Mesmer behind, she will die. The only way to prevent death in this cabin is to stay with her and stop her from carrying out the ritual. What a sleight of hand that is, to ensure the player cares about Mesmer by the end by telling them outright that it's okay to not care. Your compassion is not mandatory, but it is required.