Where We Lay Our Scene | Psycheledica

In life, we often contemplate what the “right decision” is when we come to a fork in the road and we’re not sure which path to take. For Christian, that fork in the road is whether to continue the path of his modeling career, which is solely based around his looks and will eventually have an endpoint when his attractiveness no longer sells, or to take the path to become an actor now that the door is open for him. Where We Lay Our Scene explores the possibility that there is no right answer, only different answers with equally high and low points.

The biggest selling point of WWLOS, were I to pick just one element, is probably the dialogue between the characters. Christian’s own inner narration is quirky, entertaining, and goes a long way in developing insight into who he is and how he thinks. But the more prominent element is how he interactions with everyone else. He is comfortable and teasing with Viola, sarcastic and dry with Rainier, cool and professional with Oliver, and reserved but gentlemanly with Sacha.

Christian’s is a layered character with many facets to his personality, and yet he is consistent in every route. He is always Christian, it’s just that different people bring out and allow us to explore different sides of him. Yet at no point in any route does he compromise who he is at his core. The conflicts that arise between himself and the other characters are a result of their interactions and personalities, not superficial outside forces. It makes the story all the more compelling and authentic.

For the part of the love interests, they each have their own inner struggles. It is not one single concern that preoccupies each individual character. It is a variety of them that are largely a symptom of a central issue. Each ending takes a different path in trying to resolve that issue, and no matter your choice, there are consequences for the characters, both positive and negative.

The fact that the game affords representation to many people is also one of its high points. To that end, Viola provides representation for transwomen. For me, as a trans person, I am used to never receiving representation, and Hustle Cat was really my first experience in feeling included in a game. I feel in some ways I may have, at first, unfairly pinned too many expectations on Viola and the game because I wanted it to represent me and how I experience being transgender.The route itself made it clear to me how unreasonable that was, because Viola is an individual just like any person. It’s not right to expect one person or one character to represent your unique life experiences. Not to mention every trans person experiences being trans differently, though there are some commonalities in our experiences. The reason I bring up this point is because part of being trans for me, and for many other trans people I have talked to, is second guessing your identity, your worth as a person, and how other people feel about you.

Viola’s struggle felt authentic, but more authentic than that was Christian’s dialogue and inner narration. He has the best of intentions, but at the end of the day, he’s cisgender and he just doesn’t get it. He is bound to think insensitive thoughts or say insensitive things sometimes. It’s okay that he doesn’t fully understand. It’s okay that he messes up. At the end of the day, what is most important is that he tries, that he recognizes when he messes up. That when Viola calls him out, he doesn’t stop trying to be a good friend, a good ally, and a good boyfriend.

The vibrant color palette and unique, captivating design of the user interface brings character to the writing. All of the backgrounds are so thoroughly detailed that you cannot help but notice them. In most games they just set the tone for the scene, giving information about where the characters are at. In WWLOS they also give personality to the characters and the scene.

For the part of the sprites, my favorite part about them wasn’t just the unique poses (especially Christian, I loved his the most), but also the fact that Viola had one with make-up and one without. That was a nice additional touch that brought out more realism to the character and the game.

In regards to the CGs, given the length of the game, they are of course limited. However, they are all in emotionally charged moments of the game, and they are dynamic. Each CG transitions (the characters move, react, reciprocate), and that makes the moments where there are CGs more immersive. If I had to voice any complaints about the art, it’s that the above CG was awkward for me – something about Viola’s face. Obviously I have no experience with art so I can’t articulate what the issue is exactly, but the angle just throws me off.

I believe the music was all royalty free, but the tracks do justice to the game. My favorite track was Gunshot which is heard the moment you start the game. It sets the tension and urgency of the introductory scene which draws you in as a player. The other tracks match the mood and transition per the content of each scene (accurately portraying an upbeat mood, a conflicted one, etc.).

This game is a big stride in improvement for Cyanide Tea as a team. I have praised Lore’s writing before, but I think this upped the ante. In writing one of the most important aspects you hear is “show, don’t tell” and that’s exactly what this game succeeds at. This reveals itself most centrally in the portrayal of minorities. There is accurate representation without it being a central plot point, yet no specific explanation needs to be given to the player to understand the characters. We can understand them through their actions, through what they say, and through Christian’s eyes – we don’t need anything spelled out for us. That’s the beauty of the minor interactions, and that’s where a writer’s focus should be.

The same can be said for the art. I have always been a fan of Auro’s art, but the style in this game was so unique. The coloring, the detail, it just really made the game’s quality worth way beyond the $5 asking price. In my opinion, for that price, this game is a steal.

To conclude, I am looking forward to more games by Cyanide Tea, and I think Where We Lay Our Scene is an amazing game given its length and its price. Even if the premise doesn’t grip you, the characters certainly will.

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