Kindred [Subject 6244]

So my first entry into the Kindred series was with the 3rd game- High Tide, which I also really enjoyed, so I wanted to come back and play through the series in order. Subject 6244 is a pretty compelling story that asks just how much or how little you can empathize with something completely supernatural but at the same time something very familiar. The atmosphere is great, built by the writing, great art, and really fitting soundtrack, and I had a fun time piecing together the mystery behind Subject 6244. The variance in how the player character is characterized based on your decisions was great as well, and the deeper implications of the story and background lore is fun and chilling to think through.

For Men who dreamed about getting carried by a Giant woman.

Subject 6244 is the first of the developer's Kindred Universe games, and I bought it (in a 20% discounted bundle with the second game Snowbound) after being fascinated by the story outline and the artwork on the store page. Having just completed all four of the endings and all of the achievements, this short but intense visual novel game fully lived up to my hopes and its promise. The lean monochrome artwork, the terse dialogue, the horrors both in the past and threatened for the future, and the accompanying soundtrack, all conjure up a dystopian world in a claustrophobic secret bunker. The choices that the interrogator (the main character) must make in his interaction with the tortured & chained - but not broken - female prisoner, risk unleashing her terrible powers and/or the murderous retribution of his superiors. It was satisfying to work out which set of choices would logically nudge the outcome towards each of the endings. In effect, I got Subject 6244 for about UK £1.35 and, given my play time and the (grim) pleasure I had with this excellently produced game, I am very happy with its value for money. Now for Snowbound...

Wow, I really really enjoyed my time with this VN. Nice narrative and art, but mostly it has atmosphere which a lot of psychological horror VN tend to fumble.

This is a clever take on a SCP-style world where you're another cog in the machine faced with the choice of empathy. A short yet beautiful nod to what it means when the humans are monsters and the monster is unexpectedly human.

This game is really, really clever. It takes the visual novel format and uses it to make you a faceless cog in a militarized machine and then asks - "how much compassion are you willing to show to someone at your mercy?" The system you belong to gives you authority and a narrative to believe you are interviewing a monster. You decide what to do with that information. Kindred also makes some very clever use of the medium to push you to engage deeper with the relationship dynamic it is creating. It had me opening other tabs to look things up for a chance at a better ending. And with the number of possible outcomes - each choice feels like it carries weight in how things ultimately play out. Short, sweet, and very replayable. This one really stuck with me!