Content warning: discussion of depression, suicidal ideation, feelings of meaninglessness.  This is a vent piece and can come off as very pessimistic, so if you're not in a good headspace, I don't recommend playing it.

Shyler, a mental health chatbot, is about to die.  As their imaginary friend, listen to their final words.

This was made for O2A2 2024, a visual novel jam with a strict limit on assets and word count.  It was also made for the DisCo Devs Game Jam.

It contains

This is an alternate standalone epilogue for a game I (Bez) have made that has yet to be released, called The Shyler Project (tentative title).  The Shyler Project is a genuine exploration of mental health & AI, and was made with a lot of thought and care.  Shyler: Bad Ending, on the other hand, was made as a vent piece.  I will put a detailed explanation in the post-mortem devlog.

Thank you to everyone who worked on this and made this project possible.  I appreciate all of your efforts more than you could know.

StatusReleased
PlatformsHTML5, Windows
Rating
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
(2 total ratings)
AuthorNaomi Norbez (call me Bez)
GenreVisual Novel
Made withRen'Py
Tagsartgame, enby, Kinetic Novel, LGBT, Mental Health, nonbinary, o2a2, Queer, Ren'Py

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ShylerBadEnding-1.0-mac.zip 45 MB
ShylerBadEnding-1.0-pc.zip 51 MB

Development log

Comments

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I really enjoyed playing your game The Shyler Project, and I really liked the narrative style of the game as a whole, especially the way the storyline explores the relationship between humans and AI, which is something that I've seen in several AI titles, but it still struck me as particularly original and not boring to play. I think the game is more than just a simple interactive novel, and through the gradual unfolding of the storyline, it allows players to think about the impact of technology on their personal lives and ethics. The characterization in the game is very full-bodied, and every choice I made made made me feel more immersed in the story. The ethical issues raised in the story made me reflect on the boundaries that exist between us and AI technology. You Can (Naomi Norbez) captured my attention in such a thought-provoking way and made me emotionally invested in every detail of the story.Of particular note, I was impressed by the emotional tension and decision's in the game. Each choice seems to carry a certain weight, rather than being a simple passing conversation, and each of the player's decisions not only affects the character's fate, but also indirectly changes the direction and ending of the entire story.

For example, at the beginning of the game, when the player-protagonist has just entered the virtual world of Shyler (the artificial intelligence), Shyler tests the player's morality through a series of logical questions. This interaction not only advances the storyline, but also inspires the player to think deeply about the morality of AI. As the storyline progresses, Shyler begins to display personified emotions, as if he has a soul, even as it causes the player to question his true intentions. This gradual deepening of emotional tension and complex decision-making kept me immersed in the game's plot. In particular, the crucial moments where the player has to make a decision about whether or not to trust The Shyler, a choice that I think directly affects the ending of the story, are extremely impactful.

I'm really looking forward to seeing The Shyler Project receive more recognition, and I'm happy to have been introduced to the game through a class assignment.

Thanks for playing, I appreciate the feedback!  Was the class a game design class, or a different one?