Project Anafabula

Disclaimer: to the author, take everything in this review with a grain of salt. I’m not a professional writer and only somewhat of a seasoned reviewer. To the readers, this review will contain lots of spoilers, so I suggest you read the storygame first.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The description starts off with a few cryptic lines about what to expect. Metafiction is usually a fun read when done well. Though I suppose I’ll find out about this metaphorical or literal ladder and daisy chain later in this story. Then, it introduces readers to the protagonist, Noboru; and his goal, to complete a mission. The reader has full control and Noboru is “designed to obey”, though the last few lines might foreshadow a struggle between him and the reader for control over the story. It’s an intriguing concept and I’m excited to see how it plays out.

I like how the storygame begins. Amidst the loading bar, it speaks to readers directly, building the stakes and leaving unanswered questions to pique their curiosity. There is a distinct narrative voice through the repetition of ‘last hope’ and conversational phrases like “well” and “oh right”. The narrator has their own motive, goal and opinions. It’s a nice touch that the code subtly inserts the name of three characters who are likely to be integral to this story.

The story opens with the protagonist musing about dreams. It establishes his personality, such as how he likes lucid dreams due to the sense of control (this is a nice touch, as I bet control would be one of the key themes explored in this storygame). The line “Who wouldn't want to be given a world in which they are in control of not only their own, but everybody else's actions?” seems like a nod to the readers of this storygame who get to dictate Noboru’s choices.

The prose characterizes the protagonist further. Rather than just describe the room, it links back to how he feels about it and therefore sets the stage for the first choice: sprucing up the room. Yet, I’ll note that there is a slight overreliance on adjectives for setting the scene here. This weakens the impact of each adjective used.


WRITING STYLE

The first person point of view, coupled with the use of internal dialogue, puts the readers in Noboru’s shoes. It allows them to understand his emotions and thought process, which is an effective technique as the reader is meant to control his every action. This is seen when Noboru creates a carpet or a chair. His doubts about this lucid dream are conveyed and it shows he doesn’t understand the situation either.

Colloquial, informal language is used to place the readers in the protagonist’s mind, e.g. “Ow!!! Argh!” and “What the hell happened?” The description of his pain is drawn out—utilizing both concrete imagery for the abstract concept of pain and his physical reaction to this—though as soon as it subsides, he pursues his goal once again. I noticed a comment which stated Noboru is a blank slate. While this is true in regards to his memories, he also has a dogged determination which makes him either a great protagonist for this world-saving quest or a great punching bag for the reader. As the story unfolds, the reader can place him in precarious situations, but he never stops fighting until he dies.

(Spoilers)

Later, this technique is used to show his reactions to the actions the reader takes, portraying emotion to either create empathy for a sympathetic reader (who plays this game to help Noboru with his quest) or to satisfy the more cruel readers (who desire to harm him as an evil controlling entity). For example, they may choose to drown him in a lake. On the other hand, the reader may aid him later on by allowing him to speak to Oakley. That is another strength of this structure (which would be touched upon later). It is ultimately a story of choice and control. Readers can play it either way—using their control for good or for bad—and I recommend they attempt both ways, as this story creates an engaging narrative for each. Edit: In fact, you do have to play it both ways to achieve the best endings.

The unsettling feeling Noboru undergoes is described well. First, the lack of doors is mentioned, then the hooded figure comes in through a door. Next, he chose to go through one door, but because of the “voice in the back of [his] head”, he stood before the sandstone one instead. This is the first time he realizes he’s losing his freedom. He uses denial as a coping mechanism by believing that maybe he did want it after all (this is a recurring trend throughout the story). Even after a few paragraphs of why this wouldn't be wise, he's now convincing himself that maybe he wanted to face his fears. He also has a “weird feeling that not all is as it seems”.

Description is well written, with lines of alliteration like “brilliant blue”, “breathtakingly beautiful” and “considerably calm” to convey the peacefulness of the atmosphere. It’s quite a change from the previous setting. But all of this is made relevant because it links to the protagonist's observations about the setting and plot. It serves to characterize him, too.

In one of the scenes, where he is being drowned and losing his mind, there are lots of typos as his internal dialogue is unraveled. That was a fun scene. I also liked the part where there were just ellipses on the page and words for the choices where the reader ‘spoke’ to him, then the question of “Are you God” after a long period of silence, lol.

One interesting thing is how half of Noboru’s thoughts are not his own. In some storygames where the protagonist is being controlled by an external force which interferes with their thoughts, this is usually separated by some sort of formatting, like italics or bold text. Here, it's all in the same style, but because of how vastly different opinions are placed side by side and his stance is clearly stated at first, the reader knows which are and are not his thoughts. And the lack of formatting works really well here, because as far as Noboru is concerned, they're all his thoughts, and he struggles to differentiate between his will and the reader's when they're imposed so strongly on him. Brilliantly done.

More on the ‘denial’ aspect of the protagonist: when confronted with difficult truths, he tends to just avoid dealing with reality for as long as possible. This works well with the story, as a protagonist who isn’t willing to turn a blind eye to parts of this story would…well, change the story a lot. This also influences one of the death scenes where he is stabbed by a knife: he feels the handle, then the sharpness of the blade, but he refuses to believe it, up until the point where there is no denying this fact.

SETTING & WORLDBUILDING

Searching for the bait and finding it led to Oakley trying to convince the protagonist to stay away from this path. Soon, it seems like Noboru was meant to talk to the man first, otherwise he’s completing a mini-quest before he’s assigned it haha. The man is sort of like a video game character—an npc—speaking in rhymes but only responding to certain words. And him being frozen before moving could be like a lag; the code is the game’s coding.

I knew it! He broke the sequence of events; Oakley tried to remedy the situation but talking to the man made it worse as the responses were not written yet. It’s as if we’re playing a game but the protagonist, the controlled main character, starts to gain consciousness. Sort of like Free Guy and the Truman Show but better. This answers the question as to why Oakley doesn’t help him with quests. On the other path, it’s possible to look into the house, but it's blank before being visible. There’s an explanation of how ‘they’ can't make it part of the story instantly.

I found the decoding parts fun once I figured out what translators to use. Also some messages, like the one where Oakley mentions something about understanding what ‘she’ did in her position, required two decoding websites. All of these unlock interesting lore. Some of them are quite confusing, like the ‘last ending’, but it all makes sense at the end. It’s a nice touch how some of them are Noboru’s and Oakley’s thoughts, but there are others which are the messages of the scientist and Elizabeth that may help the reader understand more about this world or provide a glimpse into why the motivations of the other may be twisted.

CHARACTERS

Oakley, the guide, is the deuteragonist in this story. They are very knowledgeable about the quest, contrasting the protagonist’s complete lack of knowledge about this strange world. They are very enthusiastic, encouraging the protagonist throughout, and excited about everything. Maybe too excited sometimes when they’re pretending to prompt the protagonist in the right direction. Yet, they are quite suspicious too. They do not explain how they know Noboru’s name, allow him to drown in one of the endings, and don't explain why he doesn’t help Noboru. Suspense comes in many forms in this story, one of which is Oakley. His acting is over-the-top but also recognizable as acting for the reader, like “What a great deal! We'd be rather silly to pass this opportunity up, wouldn't we, Noboru?” and also the part about sensing the location of any bait.

Their character dynamics with Noboru develops throughout the story. It was a fun moment to see them both use big words for no reason and be comfortable with teasing each other. However, Oakley does know information that the protagonist does not, which creates tension between them. One of the paths has the protagonist threatening them to find out more, though if the reader chooses for Noboru to hold back, it’ll lead to him confiding in them about the voice and learning that Oakley doesn’t know much about what is happening either.

They have a realistic friendship. Noboru nearly reaches ascension in one of the scenes because of this, as the reader tries to get him to kill Oakley. However, he gets annoyed with them sometimes. One instance was when he mixed up ‘bail the boat’ with ‘bail the water out of the boat’, then later Oakley is briefly referred to as “the imbecile”. Still, it’s a wholesome moment when Noboru says they’re the only sane ones (unlike the old man) and should stick together. Noboru also lies about him being controlled when threatening Oakley, as he is guilty about that.

When experiencing a lack of control, finding out that others are in the same situation does make you feel less alone. This is why Noboru responds best when the reader states that they are unsure about who they are. It is the reason that he begins to feel like he has allies when he and Oakley bond over how the situation has changed and the other npc-like character on the island responds to Oakley. There are some hilarious moments to imagine, such as Oakley hiding behind a leaf and the sailor being unsure about whether his wrist is broken. But I find it interesting how Oakley’s character develops when they find the screen and he chooses to defy the order not to tell Noboru about what the ever-so-elusive ‘they’ told him at the start.

In one of the branches, it is Oakley who ascends instead. This shows how deep their friendship is. Both of them ascend when the other’s life is at risk. They have very different internal dialogues; his meek and docile personality is shown through phrases like “Oh dear” and “Um... Excuse me, but are you...?” juxtaposing Noboru’s character. Their friendship plays a defining role in the final choice too.

PROTAGONIST & PLOT

The protagonist is well characterized and I enjoyed his character arc. When we first meet him, he doesn’t know much about the situation he’s in. He gradually panics when he meets Oakley, as he questions whether he’s in a lucid dream, which is the assumption he made at the start that holds his reality together. Once this is said to be untrue, he questions everything from the limits of his memory to the core of who he is (his family, his name, and his existence). He starts questioning everything. The part about “you just look like a Noboru and him wondering whether he’s Japanese made me chuckle. Then, he chooses to ignore it because thinking too hard can be scary (relatable) and focuses on the mission at hand instead. He lies to himself about the lucid dream because that's the assumption which keeps him sane; it’s a coping mechanism of sorts.

He has a distinct personality which makes controlling his actions more interesting. For instance, he tends to panic easily, like wondering if sea water is toxic, what he has to drink, and whether there are sharks in the sea. He can be quite sarcastic too. When Oakley annoys him by coming too close, he wonders aloud whether the people in the hut have the concept of personal space. Also, “How considerate of the storm to have waited until we were literal sitting ducks, stranded in a pathetic little rowboat in the middle of the sea!” My favorite is this line: “Can't they see that I'm in the process of dying here? Couldn't they be a little more compassionate?”

His rebellion is shown when the reader attempts to get him to kill Oakley. He knows this is not his own thought. There are sentences moving to the next one without ending, without italics or em-dashes, which adds to the stream of consciousness style. There were capitalized letters in the middle of a previous, incomplete thought. And for the first time, Noboru is in control, and the reader/ person who is deciding what happens—who interestingly enough has their own character and personality and motives—is getting frustrated. First they speak with exclamation marks, then all caps. “But this isn't even about saving Oakley anymore, is it? It's about saving myself.” Ooh, this is thematic.

To the protagonist, threatening Oakley felt satisfying. He enjoyed being assertive probably due to the control he felt in the moment. This links to the theme of control—the protagonist loses it but desires it strongly. In fact, the reader can choose for him to let go of Oakley, then the guilt overcomes him. He understands the power associated with control, but also the immoral implications of hurting someone and forcing them to do something against their will. Later, he also states that threatening Oakley made him feel “invincible”. It makes the moment where he chooses to attack Oakley with a paddle more realistic, given that earlier characterization, and the reader can either kill Noboru or urge him to win his fight. Neither leads to a good outcome.

Haha, I enjoyed the part where the protagonist speaks directly to the reader: “CAN you see us? ARE you spying on us? What DO you want?” The combination of first and second person pov is employed nicely. There are also moments where the reader can respond to him as a clearer voice in his head.

This may be a bit odd, but the ‘reader’ who makes the choices feels like a character in this story. Noboru’s dynamics develop with them—us?—too. At first, he doesn’t realize the reader’s existence, and even when he does, he chooses to ignore it until that isn’t possible anymore. Then when he’s on the boat after questioning Oakley, he starts to control the voice and only uses it when necessary, such as when they’re both about to drown. But if he lives, he converses with the reader as they have helped save him. It’s sweet how he says “If it's alright, could you stay here with me? At least for a while.” And if the reader chooses to honor his choice to speak with Oakley, he even thanks them.

Slowly, Noboru may team up with the reader. He even notes that the command may be more of a “blessing than a curse”, which is likely to be significant later in the story (edit: yes, it was). But then, he’s characterized further when there’s a crossover and he and Oakley meet…themselves? We finally get to see what Oakley looks like, at least a younger form, and there’s the white-haired girl who appears in some of the endings. It’s nice that the other path mentioned at the start, the high school, features here. This path shines a light on the whole situation, clearing up some of my confusion.

I love how Ellie’s analyses of them form a prominent role in the story. She says that Noboru is a “stubborn and self-important asshole” who loves power and control (ironic given how he’s not in control). This explains why he nearly killed Oakley a few times when trying to get information out of him. If the reader enables him to, he could become the worst version of himself, turning towards his corruption arc.

"It's me," I conclude, subdued. "I'm... I'm a character. You're a character. I... Oh, god, it all makes sense now. The voice... It's not a god, or a parasite, or a mind-controller. It's a reader from another universe." — Oh my. I’ve spent the day reading this storygame (it’s currently past midnight) and I feel my mind is blown. What?? There’s layers of fiction within fiction, worlds that are ‘real’ but aren’t to the higher ones…What a plot twist. It’s like my favorite type of mystery books: where everything makes sense due to the foreshadowing but you would have never guessed the truth.

I found an ending that is so close, yet so far. It answered many important questions. Although the reader has most of the answers by now, it’s impossible to end this story now as Noboru begs for whatever that happy ending is: “Don't keep me trapped in this hell! Voice, Reader, whatever, please... Find a way out for me next time, Okay?” Maybe it’s too late but it seems cruel to end this story here. Sleep is optional anyway.

I’m kind of frustrated that I’m getting answers, yet I’ll have to come back to this because I need a code (and the other one for a different branch) to access the rest of the story.

Now, onto the main path which I was probably supposed to play first. This is the one that Oakley has been leading the protagonist towards. It has pirates and robots. Throughout the narrative, Noboru keeps mentioning ‘you’ when he subconsciously speaks to the reader, but questions why he seems to be speaking to someone. Since I played the other path first, I already know why he’s being controlled, yet it’s really great to observe the foreshadowing and build-up to those other scenes here. Speaking of foreshadowing, Noboru seems to know all of Oakley’s moods even without seeing his face. “It's as if I've known them my whole life.” Lol, great hints at who they actually are. He also mentions being invisible to the side-characters by accident.

But then, finding the treasure doesn’t work. Seems like Oakley has been misled too. There’s a fun scene of Noboru talking to the reader again (well, not ‘again’ since this one technically hasn’t, but you know what I mean). “Heh, I'm telling off an entity in complete control of my body and mind. Makes me feel powerful.” — This line captures his personality well, as he still attempts to feel a sense of control even when his actions are being dictated by someone else, and he finds humor in the situation.

When I saw the name ‘Leaf’, I knew I was getting there. Soon, the choices are of the moral variety: Noboru chooses whether to rescue or abandon Oakley, and whether or not to kill Leaf. Meanwhile, Oakley is too nice, apologizing about kicking the robot that literally imprisoned them. And I chose the choice which the scientist referred to in the other ending, but there was some code I wasn’t able to solve as it wasn’t mentioned at the start. I’m glad I saw the comment that mentioned Caesar ciphers. But that didn’t provide me with the codes I needed to proceed.

Ohhh, I see. Yes! Morse code for the win! If there are some people needing help with figuring it out and are reading the comments, I’ll mention that this game utilizes a fake-out ending very well. Nearly made me throw my laptop, lol.

Oh, her name is Elizabeth. No wonder she has nicknames like Liz and Ellie, which are so different for seemingly the same person. And I I feel sad for Oakley, as the protagonist tries to comfort him, but he knows that he’s a side character whose universe would be consumed by the Anafabula.

Now, let’s talk about the ending path. It’s written really well. Noboru’s disobedience begins with malicious compliance when stating that ‘nothing’ is wrong, which conveys the message to Oakley that he is being controlled. Then he’s asked to kill Oakley. Their friendship stands the test of time. He was meant to kill Oakley in an earlier branch and nearly ascended, only to get killed by Ellie, but here, he actually ascends!

Oakley goes through character development as well. From being “scared easily” and “bending to other people’s commands”, they hold their ground, forcing Noboru to make his own choice. It’s nice to see that they both develop and it makes sense that they’re both two halves of a whole, metaphorically and literally. This ending feels so much more well earned due to all the other past paths.

THEME & ENDING

As previously stated, this is a storygame about choice and control. From the start, Noboru experiences jolts of pain where it feels like he’s losing something. It’s a good way to convey the physical reaction to having free will stolen. He gets headaches whenever a choice is made for him.

But later, it’s revealed that the reader doesn’t have utmost control either. There’s a mysterious ‘they’ that controls everything. And Noboru first realizes that the world gives him room to make some choices, but there are others it controls. A while after, he comes to the realization that even the reader—the voice in his head—doesn’t have utmost control either.

The struggle for control over life is one of the most relatable problems. We may be forced to make certain decisions because of others who impose their own will onto us (e.g. those in positions of authority like parents or bosses). But those who control us are often controlled by others too. This struggle is conveyed well in the story where the protagonist literally loses his free will. And naturally, he fights for it. In the ending where he kills Oakley, he tries to convince himself that at the very least, it was his choice. He made it happen. Conversations with the reader echoes themes of greater purpose and choice and knowledge and the lack thereof.

The same happens with his character foil, the scientist. He believes he has the most control over the situation, telling Noboru that he controls whatever the reader doesn’t, and he’s the mysterious person pulling the strings behind the scenes. Noboru sees enemies everywhere: in his guide, in the voice in his head, but at last, he may see the person who put him there. Though in one of the earlier endings, it’s too late.

Noboru, Oakley, the reader, even the scientist—they all go through moments of power and powerlessness. Not everything is a hundred percent theirs to control. The scientist seeing the different parts of himself and counting on the reader to guide Noboru to be a better version is interesting, as the character may surpass his creator.

Since I brought it up in the description, I should mention that I finally found out the meaning of the three worlds (Noboru’s, the scientist’s and the one where the reader resides), the daisy chain (connection between worlds where each fictional story is a real world, and the story within that a world of its own, and it extends to infinity) and the intangible ladder (for the Anafabula to climb up through the different levels of worlds to the top one).

Back to the main theme: when your decisions affect the choices of others, one has the choice to either exercise control or to relinquish this power so others may enjoy their own free will. When Noboru listens to the scientist, he isn’t truly choosing. He claims it was the reader’s judgment all along. I like how this has a page titled ‘Dystopian Paradise’ as a callback to the first page.

But the other choice grants him a revelation: “I'm more powerful than you, and I get to choose how to use that power. I could use it for destruction, tearing a path up to the layer of the potential deletion event, destroying every universe I pass through on the way. Or I could use it for preservation, ensuring my home universe's permanent safety. I choose the latter."

There are lots of implied themes about playing god and controlling the fates of others. The Anafabula is literally referred to as a ‘god’. But this leads to destruction, when one starts choosing whose lives are valued over others. It’s consistently reflected in paths where Noboru sacrifices Oakley for himself or kills ‘lesser’ side characters. We can see how Noboru Oakley is the worst of both worlds, with the values of Oakley being taken to an extreme goal perpetuated by the ambition of Noboru. In attempting to save several universes, he ends up advocating for destroying a lot of them instead. So it makes sense that one of the choices involves the reader deciding not to proceed with this experiment, even though it’s the main point of the game. Noboru relies on the reader here as he says he can’t do it alone, but the choice, this time, is his. After all, it makes sense thematically not to use this control over others in a destructive way and kill the person he fought so hard against his blind obedience to save. It marks the conclusion of Noboru’s character arc.

Overall, I really like this storygame, as one can probably tell from this overly lengthy review. It deserves a lot more readers and ratings.

Got the ending in which I went total psycho. So far for my thoughts on your story-game, it's clear that a bunch of effort went into crafting this.

The main character, Noboru is an interesting blank slate of a character from first impressions. And in a way, that continues, as their moral ambiguity is something that the reader can shape if they want to. At the first opportunity of letting loose, I was surprised in which how far the protagonist would go with that choice I've made, which gave me the ending that I currently have.

I assume that what we experience in this story is something that is a simulation, right? Which would explain why a fisherman would want to trade their boat for bait maybe. At the time of my writing, I have only achieved one ending, but this story does have me curious in seeking out what other paths there are to be read.

One other thing, as I read this story, the dynamic between Oakley and Noboru, in my opinion, I felt was written well. The dialogue, the way in which the former in their whimsical nature, plays off of how Noboru genuinely seems to be confused, but also curious as to where they themselves can go and do in their world. With the setting that's here, I feel as if Ryboi does a good job of making a reader ask questions in the rein of 'where can this story go from here, to the next page?'

And while I asked myself that, I found myself reading this story-game again to experience a different path. And all of a sudden, I was dealing with pirates, and once again, quite like the first page, the fourth wall became an element that was used in the story. Endings themselves being a concept that the characters in the story know about, it's something that's interesting. As a writer, perhaps that is a slippery slope, when one begins to play with the fourth wall. I say this because there are some people who don't like that, they would want the story to be based on its own reality, maybe with its own set of rules on the laws of gravity and whatnot. And although, maybe I had to do a double take, I think it helps aid with the overall thematic theme that's being written here.

Some of the scenes feel disjointed in a way, as they bleed into one another. But as I read the story, I began to feel that this disjointedness was something that was done stylistically. As perhaps the suddenness of how things were occurring, it was something that was also felt by Noboru as it was happening to them.

So overall, this is certainly a story with quite a big word count. 70k as of the time of this comment I've made? That's not bad. It's something that's actually praise-worthy. It's certainly not 70k that is wasted in my opinion.

Good work, Ryboi.

This was quite the journey. I do believe this sort of metafiction is very satisfying to read because actually solving the codes give a good sense of accomplishment. I thought the puzzles were just right in terms of difficulty, which is really a crucial aspect when it comes to this kind of story. I also thought that the interactions with the reader actually felt quite natural which I've noticed is pretty tricky to pull off.

To anyone reading this comment before or during reading this story, I highly recommend playing until you reach a conclusion and not an "ending". This story is worth the effort in my opinion.

I finally cracked the codes. Its interesting. In an age with guides and googles -- the challenge of cracking the code oneself -- it can be difficult to actually get that challenge.

The persistence of modernity - and searchable answers - reduces our capacity to find the answers ourselves. Like less resilience, and maybe even less self trust we can find it.

If you are struggling to find a code I'll just say this. The answers are in front of you, not behind you.

Going through the interweaving story is great. I like the concepts of awakening and will that are explored

Interesting but confusing as well

This is amazing. I enjoyed it like Eternal. It's hard to put into words a review though, it's better than me in ways and stuff. I guess I got one of the epilogues and not a game over so I beat it first-try? Are there even game overs?

It's hard to put into words how much I enjoyed reading "Project Anafabula." Not only is the storytelling superb, but the mechanics of the game are fascinating. The characters are deep and interesting, the worldbuilding is unique and creative, and the little details sent me over the edge (in a good way). Not to mention the twist it takes on traditional CYAO books; very cool!

I especially loved how everything came together in the end. Even though I was making my own choices, the author somehow managed to subtly guide me down the proper path so I experience the fullness of the story (instead of skipping straight to the good ending or giving up after a bad one). As I read, I simultaneously felt like a character and a co-author- and that was mind-blowing to me. It's the perfect balance between guiding the reader and giving them free reign.


However, "Project Anafabula" is definitely not a story for beginning CYAO readers, however. Since clues to the resolution are handed out in snippets, the plot may be confusing until you assemble all the pieces (no "hand-holding" here. But don't worry, just keep persevering and it'll all make sense eventually). Additionally, the secret messages included with each ending can be somewhat difficult to decode, especially if the reader isn't familiar with base64, hex, Caesar ciphers, binary, or morse code (tip: look up decoders online and keep trying until you figure it out). Finally, "Project Anafabula" was quite a long read. There's only one good ending and it requires a lot of determination to get to. So, plan on spending a few hours on this one.

Regardless, I highly recommend this story to experienced CYAO readers and avid fans of multiverses and fourth-wall-breaking. It plays like an RPG video game with the charm of a fantasy paperback, making the reader truly feel connected and important to the story. Overall, "Project Anafabula" is engaging, thought-provoking, clever, creative, and immersive: a true 10/10 in my book.

(Also I would die for Oakley)

I could've gotten 8 hours of sleep instead of reading this.
I regret nothing.

(Absolute masterpiece, let me tell you.)

Wow, I'm really impressed! I haven't gotten to seriously sit down and play this yet but I've been looking at it on my breaks, there's a lot going on here and a lot of endings to find. I've really enjoyed what I've seen so far, I don't think I've seen a similar concept with anything this ambitious here before.