Glass is a 2006 work of Interactive Fiction by Emily Short and a retelling of Cinderella. You play as a caged pet parrot watching a conversation between the prince, stepmother, and stepsisters. As you are locked up, your actions are limited. However, you can speak up in ways that influence the conversation.
You can download the game or play it online here.
Has nothing to do with either the 2019 film by M. Night Shyamalan, or the Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfic.
This game contains examples of:
- Fractured Fairy Tale: The story gives Cinderella a secret that causes the Prince to have her executed in one ending, and even the happy ending is quite atypical in its treatment of the Prince and Cinderella's relationship. Additionally, all of the plot happens in one room, and you play a pet parrot that is trying to match up the classic pair. Cinderella is actually a natural enchantress, but lives in a kingdom where most people are overly religious, believing magical powers to be the result of a compact with demons despite this being untrue. Prince couldn't recognise her because of an enchantment which is restored when she puts on the slipper. Her family regards her with a mixture of fear, repulsion, and pity, hiding her because they're both ashamed and wish to protect her — the stepmother is even implied to experience a Crisis of Faith. Depending on your decision, the stepmother either switches slippers and the Prince marries one of the stepsisters, realizes the ruse and leaves, executes Cinderella, or destroys the slipper and evidence of her magic, eventually finding reason to court her and marry.
- Multiple Endings: Six, depending on which sister you suggest to the Prince, and whether you remain silent during their interaction or speak up about something.
- One-Word Title: A theme with Emily Short's "fractured fairy tale" games; the other games are Bronze, Alabaster, and Indigo. It's also a reference to the glass slipper from the tale of "Cinderella".
- Pirate Parrot: You can become one in one ending if you swear enough times.
- Polly Wants a Microphone: The parrot protagonist. You're locked in a cage, but by saying the right words at the right time you can influence the train of thought of the people talking in the room, and make their conversation reach one of the different outcomes.
- Twice-Told Tale: For "Cinderella".
