Thank you so much for playing and for taking the time to leave such a detailed review! I'm really glad you enjoyed the writing and that the twist landed well, especially since first-person isn't usually your preferred style. Knowing that the pacing kept you hooked until the end is great to hear.
I wanted to share a bit of the behind-the-scenes and the design choices that shaped the project:
• The 8KB limit and style: For this game, the 8KB threshold is a personal design challenge and a non-negotiable technical constraint I set for myself. Alongside the main Instagram GIF inspiration I mentioned before, the game is also heavily inspired by erika_hg's One for Sorrow, Two for Joy. I aimed for a short, strictly linear text narrative with a clean 2-bit visual aesthetic.
• Audio and the back button: The lack of music and the forward-only navigation are structural choices driven by both that minimalist vision and the strict file size limit. Every single byte counts, and adding audio or a history system to allow reading backwards would inevitably push the file size past my 8KB target.
• Keyboard navigation: I actually tried to implement keyboard arrows to let players move forward through the text, but the software simply wouldn't respond to the input, so I had to cut that feature out entirely.
I will definitely keep your notes on accessibility and sound design in mind for future projects where I won't have these rigid space constraints.
Thanks again for your time and for the thoughtful feedback!