FEED IT

I liked it. Chase sequences are tense. The sound design and atmosphere is very good at making you feel anxious, even when you're "safe". Really liked the music, too. Atmospheric noise being incorporated into the music was a really cool touch.

The protagonist awakens on a couch in a lonely apartment. Sitting next to her is a hulking pig monstrosity which demands to be fed. As the protagonist searches the house for food to sate the beast's hunger, she's subjected to verbal abuse and isolation. In the distorted labyrinths of the house, the protagonist struggles to find the strength to leave before the monster consumes everything.

FEED IT is an exploration into abusive relationships, with the protagonist's role serving as the fearful enabler. The pig beast is a veritable amalgamation of many abusive qualities. When it's not demanding to be fed, it demeans the protagonist's intelligence and isolates her from friends. During the course of the story, which is told across three acts, the protagonist can choose whether to feed the beast, in turn starving themselves, or steal food from behind the beast's back. These choices feed into a variety of endings, providing the game with some replayability for players seeking a couple of different ending sequences.

The story is simple, but it does a nice job with its use of metaphors, particularly as it advances to later chapters. I enjoyed the small descriptors of the meals cooked by the protagonist, including the ways this is riffed upon in later chapters. While there's certainly a food dynamic to the abuse, FEED IT effectively conveys that the food is just a representation of enabling an abusive relationship. I appreciated the way this concept is established very simply in the first chapter and expanded upon through the end of the game.

FEED IT is surprisingly visually enticing, combining a retro classic PSX-style graphics art direction with some very clever rearrangements of floor layouts. As the protagonist ventures deeper into the house, it contorts around them into surrealist dreamscapes, rarely disappointing in variety across each chapter.

FEED IT's gameplay is most similar to the walking sim genre, as the player can only move and interact with food or cabinet drawers. The name implies the goal, as each chapter involves seeking out food to feed the pig beast. The first few food items are easily spotted around the kitchen, but later items require exploring the level. While food is not particularly well hidden, there's a vaguely Easter egg search-adjacent quality to the experience, as the protagonist opens cabinets and checks shelves for food.

After finding the food, the protagonist can choose to either feed themselves or feed the beast. If the protagonist fails to sate the beast, sometimes despite their best efforts, the game initiates a chase sequence. As the protagonist flees through the surreal levels, they become even further twisted with a sinister undertone. It's fairly effective at eliciting anxiety in the player, as the familiar map layouts can distort unexpectedly, blocking routes previously known. The pig beast is unexpectedly quick on its feet, and the narrow hallways provide few opportunities for evasion.

The first two chapters are smartly paced, with level designs which feel appropriate in scale for the movement speed of the character; however, I was disappointed in the final chapter. The final chapter slows down the pacing of the game substantially, leaving a slightly bitter and frustrating aftertaste on the experience, particularly when doubling back for achievements.

Overall, I would recommend FEED IT. Players who don't mind walking sims will be less likely to bounce off this game from a gameplay perspective, meaning more time can be spent enjoying the art direction and level design. I don't think FEED IT introduces a particularly profound perspective on abuse, which is already a well-trodden path for horror; however, it does deliver a mostly enjoyable short-form experience. While I'd like to spend more time considering the game's symbolism, I can already feel the hunger growing within me for my next game and I must...FEED IT!

great short experience

An incredibly good horror game. Even though its symbolism, story and metaphors are pretty direct, the game still leaves room for interpretation in certain places, especially through its environments and visual design.

The bathroom was a great example of this. It's a safe space for the woman, a place where she has to close the door just to finally get some peace from her husband. I found this particularly heartbreaking to witness, as I haven't really seen something like this portrayed in a game before. The mirror that serves as a save point was also a really good touch.

I also really liked how the game portrays a toxic and dangerous relationship. Even though the dynamic between the abuser and the victim is pretty obvious, the message still comes across really strongly. There are some interesting details and symbols that leave room for different interpretations, which adds more depth to the experience than you might initially expect.

Even though I would've preferred a bit more subtlety in some parts, it's still a really strong game that tackles a serious topic in a way that feels like it comes from people who actually understand it. The game manages to deliver its message in both ways, through very direct symbolism and some genuinely disturbing visuals.

Short but potent. By the end I was scrambling to figure out how to make it stop. How to get away from him. Please let it be over. Please.