Athenaeum

MINOR SPOILERS, MAYBE?

I genuinely enjoyed my time in the Athenaeum, with its surprisingly thoughtful, unexpectedly affecting story about growing up and (maybe) moving on. Despite the fantastical setting, the MC's decision and the stories they hear are very applicable for worlds that aren't otherworldly libraries. I would have liked to know more about said world, but exposition about the library wasn't the point; but it did influence my (first-run) decision to Leave, so maybe that was the point, after all. I appreciated that no-one's decision or reasoning was "wrong" or "right," and even decisions that didn't work out are presented more as the wrong choice for the moment in which it was made. I found all of the characters interesting and endearing - yes, even Holden! - and it was surprisingly bittersweet when my MC and Harper made different decisions.

The art in the game is vibrant and fits the game perfectly; all the character sprites are visually striking and express each character's personality, and I love the way the 'infinite library' setting informs the world, with bookshelves taking the place of walls, the canal filled with fish and seaweed running through tree-like shelves, the reading-corner-like "steppes" where Bo's "sheep" are roaming around. (I'm with Holden on this one, those are not sheep.) (Where is this "sunlight" coming from, anyway?) (Is this some kind of post-apocalyptic The Borrowers?) (I have so many questions about this world!)

I also liked the implication that Holden initially stayed because Cosette stayed, and that, by extension, making such big decisions because of someone else, even someone you care for, isn't always the best thing to do. That said, I noted that when you speak to Holden or Cosette, they reference the other and the dialogue changes a little, depending if you'd spoken to the other previously. Bo and Robinson do the same thing if you talk to Bo first, but if you talk to Robinson first and then to Bo, he still says that you should go talk to Robinson as if you hadn't already done so. It's a minor thing, but it seems like a bug? I do like the fact that the dialogue changes a little in reference to the other characters; it makes it seem more like a community with people who know and interact with each other.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this game and I'm glad you put it out there so people like me to play. Even if some endings are bittersweet, there's a wholesome kind of heartwarming to Athenaeum that made it more than its short playtime. Excellent work!

(Just what exactly is Speculative Fiction - Agriculture? Is that where all the Harvest Moon/Rune Factory/Stardew Valley transcripts go?)