(Marie's Room, Like Charlie, Like Charlie, 2018)
Marie's Room is a storytelling experience created by Charlie, a game studio founded by Belgian, Kenny Guillaume. As part of this encapsulated story, players will follow the story as Kelsey returns to her friend Marie's room, searches her diary, and recalls events from 20 years ago. What exactly happened? What happened to Marie?
(Image taken from Steam Store)
Marie's room acts like a theater escape room if its analogy makes sense. Players will find that they have been "trapped" in the memory of Marie's room from the past until they find all the pieces and restore her diary to its original state. The player then manipulates the items in the room, listening to Kelsey explaining each item and the story within it, and stitching together the memories she and Marie left behind years ago. Some items are informative only, while others indicate that you are filling in a journal entry and reading that memory back into Marie's journal. Only now instead of Kelsey from Marie's point of view. This contrast helps players understand both individuals as they think and interact with each other. At the same time, create your own "version" of what you remember. Through these two stories, the player can summarize not only what happened at that time, but also what led to an event that no one would directly tell.
This type of storytelling is great for attracting players and immersing them in a seemingly simple environment where two high school students become friends. Meetings with Kelsey and Marie aren't the average way to make friends, but it's their struggle that adds to the fun and chaotic dynamics of childhood friendship. All the stories Kelsey tells are simpler, as you can later think about how cruel she was with Marie, especially when the diary entry emphasizes how pure and eccentric Marie is. I have an air of nostalgia for constant regret. Thanks to a small piece of information brought to us, players could possibly have caused them what happened when they were flying, and the possibility of causing such a crack between the two. Stick to the idea of finding both of the things, the diary suggests. When an object is discovered, seemingly random events slowly gather, and when the two puzzles are solved, the story unfolds and a conclusion is drawn.
I'd love to talk more about their dynamism or how the room itself creates its own rhythm, but Marie's Room is a story that takes a bit of personal experience to understand. It can be played at once, so there is no save mechanism and it blows up the colors in an hour. To be honest, it was a little disappointing to come to the second half, not because the plot didn't work out, but because I invested too much in the plight of the two until the finale and wanted to know more. If you're looking for a story that can immerse you in its atmosphere, give it a try.