Switcheroo

Here is a sweet little story with a fair bit of branching in the middle, though it all still converges towards the same end. I played through it twice to see how differently things could go, and found that in spite of the convergence, the different choices did feel as though they made a difference to the story. This, I think, is because the story seems to be a question of identity; so, although the final sections remains pretty much the same, the picture formed by the player of the protagonist may be different.

There's some toilet humour to begin with, and the language is always of the sort associated with pre-teen literature. But it seems to me that the themes are rather a bit more mature. This isn't all just fun and games: we're also looking at gender identity and issues of physical disability. I seem to recall that the authors' first entry to the IFcomp touched on issues of PTSD, again not something one might expect in children's literature. I wonder if perhaps we do children a disservice by pretending that these issues don't touch them.

At any rate, it's interesting to see our protagonist, a boy waking up one morning as a girl, try to be a girl -- or, at any rate, how he imagines a girl should act. There's not much in the way of puzzles; only a little bit towards the beginning involving the putting together of a matching outfit. Mostly, it's about exploring different choices.

Oh, and there's a fighting card game in there with some hilariously over-the-top descriptions for the women pictured. Almost worth repeated replay just to collect them all.

Muesli, chocolate milk, and a banana. Something nutritious aimed at a younger audience.