In Corporeal

An Atmospheric Narrative Puzzle Platformer

My Role(s): Writer (Creative), Designer, Programmer, Artist
Reception: Ranked 3rd in “Mechanics,” 11th Overall in Competition of 950.
Link: https://yousayrandy.itch.io/in-corporeal (playable)

Dialogue Transcript

Level 1

Me:
Unnh… wha… Huh?

Him:
Every boring story begins with someone waking up. Typical. No matter. Why don’t you move around, stretch your legs a bit, hmm?

Me:
What… Where are you?

Him:
Someplace where you can hear me, and I can hear you, obviously. And where I can see you. Head through that door.

Level 3

Me:
What is this place? How did I get here?

Him:
Amnesia, too, eh? Really piling on the cliches.

Me:
I still don’t see you. Where are you? WHO are you?

Him:
What fun would it be if I just told you? No, no, no, if we’re doing the amnesia thing, we’re going to have some fun with it. Put our own spin on the trope, as it were. No good story would ever reveal everything up front.

Me:
So you do know what’s going on?

Him:
Keep going.

Level 4

Me:
I can’t make that jump. Now what?

Him:
Now, it’s time for us to meet … sort of. I’ll handle this.

Me:
How? I still don’t even know where you are.

Him:
You want something, I can give it to you. Trust that I can bring you what you want. Give in. Let me take control.

Level 5

Me:
Oh God! Jesus Christ! What the f-

Him:
Hey! Watch it. Swearing limits our story’s market potential.

Me:
But what the… heck… was that?

Him:
This is going to be a LOT more fun than I thought. You truly don’t know, do you? You needed me. Something only I could provide. So you let me … tag in.

Me:
That’s not what that was! I felt… I don’t know what I felt. Like I wasn’t even here. Empty… lost… Almost like I was-

Him:
Dead? Sucks, doesn’t it? It’s much better out there than in here. We’re getting somewhere, though. Figuratively and literally. Don’t stop now.

Level 6

Me:
When I’m in there … When I’m … not here … I can’t get back. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get back on my own.

Him:
Consider this an exercise in empathy. I can’t get you there until you let me. It’s a two-way street.

Me:
So I can’t get back out unless YOU let ME?

Him:
Not exactly. I’ll be honest with you. I have no intentions of ever letting you out.

Me:
But the light… You can’t be in the light. It’s why only I can go through the doors.

Him:
You’re boring me. Let’s continue.

Level 8

Him:
So what’s your deal, anyway?

Me:
You seem to know more about my deal than I do.

Him:
Right, but that’s what I mean. The whole amnesia… thing. I never understood it. What’s it like not remembering?

Me:
It’s fairly complicated. I understand amnesia and what that means. I REMEMBER what that means. I REMEMBER the concept of jumping, lights, going through doors … I just don’t … remember. My name, who I am, where I am … Who and what you are … I guess I would say there are two categories of things: Things I know, and things I remember. Anything that falls under “things I remember,” I just … don’t. And that’s very irritating. And I happen to know what it’s like to be irritated.

Him:
Ha ha ha! What a trip. I don’t envy you, which is sad considering where I currently am. I have to say, though, watching you sort all of that out, knowing what I know about you … It makes it very interesting, entertaining-

Me:
Irritating.

Level 9

Him:
Whoa! Watch it. There are spikes.

Me:
Does that matter? It can’t be worse than what happens to me when you take over.

Him:
But your body always comes back, right? Fully intact? What happens to a fully intact body when it’s impaled on spikes?

Me:
I don’t remember.

Him:
It-

Me:
I’m joking.

Level 10

Me:
You don’t want me to die.

Him:
Your death would be in direct opposition to my interests.

Me:
You can’t just .. tag my corpse out and take over permanently?

Him:
I can’t get out of here without your body. Besides, that’s not how it works.

Me:
How DOES it work?

Him:
I’m not telling you. Not yet.

Me:
You don’t know, do you?

Him:
…

Level 12

Him:
Ethan.

Me:
What? Ethan?

Him:
That’s your name. Ethan.

Me (Ethan?):
Oh … Thank you … Thank you for telling me.

Him:
You’re welcome.

Level 14

Him:
Urgh! What the fuck was that?

Me (Ethan):
I was able to use that crucifix I found to bring myself back. Don’t worry, though, it burned up after I used it. Fuck, huh? That’s where we’re at? What about market potential?

Him:
Well, it God damn HURT, Aiden!

Me (Aiden now?):
Aiden?

Him:
Yes, Aiden … Or Owen … Or Kellen … Or whatever two-syllabled name that ends with “N” that your parents’ generation was obsessed with. Stop thinking you have a modicum of control. I fucking own you. You know what I want you to know. Now fuck off with those crucifixes.

Level 15

Him:
End of the line, Logan.

Me:
What? This can’t be it.

Him:
You can’t rush art, Nolan. A good story takes time. I hope you’re intrigued. Who are you? How did you get here? How do you get out? CAN you get out? Who even knows you’re in here? How do I play into all of this? How much will I tell you? When? Do I even know everything? How else will I keep fucking with you? You’ll have to wait to find out.

Me:
Well that’s… Irritating.