Backspace Backspace Backspace

Writing has always been something that comes naturally for me. What I lack in charisma when talking face-to-face with someone, I make up for in vocabulary and structure when writing an entire piece. Because of that, I decided to take the plunge and took some writing classes in an attempt to finally get the skillset to write the book I’ve always felt is hiding somewhere inside of me. And while those lessons were extremely valuable, with loads of encouraging feedback and clear instructions on what I could be doing better, the book has not materialised. Not even close, if I’m honest.

The book I feel I want to write centres on the relationship between a fantasy writer and her muse. When the author was younger, she struggled to get a word on the page until she met some people at college who managed to let her make contact with said muse, who, in this world, is an actual being. This led to incredible success, with the duo carving out a phenomenal fantasy book series, which is all set for its grand finale. Except: the muse has stopped responding. Something in their relationship has gotten all rotten, and it’s affecting both parties. So… what now?

Apologies for the self-indulgence there, but I felt like this intro would be perfect when talking about Backspace Backspace Backspace, the debut game by Blue Tango Street. In this minimalistic visual novel, we meet an aspiring writer, stuck on that first page, erasing the start of their story over and over. We spend our short time with the game mostly listening in on and participating in their internal dialogue as they start to falter about this whole writing thing.

There’s an eerie feeling about the whole game, with the devs labelling it as psychological horror, although I feel a bit conflicted about that title. But that might be because I recognise the thought patterns going on here, and while I was convinced for the longest time that everyone had these internal conversations, I have recently discovered this not to be the case. So maybe, if you’re not someone who spends their time countering the noise in their heads, this game might seem a little scary.

Aside from that, the horror feels very much like that in a game I recently covered, Without a Dawn. It’s all about what’s happening within the mind of our protagonist, and with the right dialogue choices, we can quickly find out how scary a place that can be. There’s mostly a sense of self-loathing present, something that seems pretty universal among creative people. They can’t see the worth of what they’re making, cringing at the sight of their creation. Universal maybe isn’t the right word, but it’s pretty prevalent nonetheless.

It’s something I’ve struggled with myself over the years. That lack of confidence is one of the defining reasons why it’s taken me four decades to start writing anything published at all, with the reviews I’m doing on this site. So it would be easy to slip into that warm embrace of self-loathing that our main character seems to be pretty charmed by as well. Interestingly, if you choose the right conversation options, you can end up on a walk outside your apartment, where you’ll be faced with a passerby who notices you and then just passes you. In that instant, our protagonist does feel a sense of self-worth, so much so that he’d be willing to take this random person in a fight just to prove it.

It’s this duality that makes the game so interesting. Yes, depending on your choices, our author could be a very one-note character, but you can change that. There are some inspired questions that the game asks of you, clearly brought by lived experience. As the game’s creator alludes to in their author’s notes, this game was a first step for them to start the creative process for themselves. It’s a way to recover that spark that so often evades those who aspire to create. And it’s a very worthy effort at that.

It would’ve been nice if there was just a little bit more of a game to sink your teeth into, as I completed the game a couple of times within the half-hour mark. But then again, at its price point it’s very much value for your money. Especially if you’re a creative yourself, you’ll find that you recognise a lot that happens in Backspace Backspace Backspace. Whether you agree with how the protagonist deals with it or not is an entirely separate conversation, but that’s the whole idea behind the game: that people will react to certain circumstances very differently, depending on their background and surroundings.

And if you really disagree with how our hero deals with their own insecurities, replay the game with different dialogue options. There are different endings to unlock, and due to its short runtime, the game can easily be completed quickly. Getting these different perspectives will give you an interesting glance at how perspective can influence not just the moment but an entire lifetime.