The roommate herself.
Missed Messages
is a short Visual Novel made by Angela He, who also created There's This Girl.
In Missed Messages, the player controls a college student living with a troubled pink haired roommate named May. The player can either befriend/romance another girl through AirDrop (also known as Amy or "goth gf") or talk to the roommate instead.
The game contains the following tropes:
- all lowercase letters: This visual novel has all lowercase letters, just like Angela He's previous game There's This Girl.
- Dialogue Tree: The player can choose between a few options, typically those with a few words to describe what you're gonna do/say.
- Dreaming of Things to Come: If May died in a previous route, the player can dream of May given foreboding hints of what happened in a follow-up playthrough.
- Driven to Suicide: All the problems in May's life can lead to this, depending on whether the player intervenes or not.
- Foreshadowing: The player gets just enough hints from May that May is in a rough spot right now. Even if the player doesn't overhear her argument with her mother nor listens to her problems while hanging out, May still can accidentally let a few details about her plan slip. For one thing, if the player chooses to hang out with Amy, May can ask when the player will get back. Right afterwards, May can talk about how life is short and she needed to appreciate the player while she still had the chance. For anyone who has dealt with mental illness before, these can be two minor red flags that end up really hurting later on.
- Hates Being Alone: Very much downplayed trope. If the player befriends Amy, the latter will say that they used to have close friends, but they grew apart. Since then, Amy has tried to befriend others and sleep around to fill the void.
- Hiding Behind the Language Barrier: Not intentionally, but the conversation between May and her mother serves as this, as the player character doesn't understand what they're saying. However, judging from their tone of voice it's assumed to be an argument.
- Informed Attribute: Amy is listed as "goth gf" on the player's computer, but she doesn't really seem to fit the part.
- Lipstick Lesbian: Amy serves as this, seeing as how the player can romance her and how the lady knows her way around makeup.
- Love Interest: Amy, the girl found through AirDrop, serves as one. If Amy and the protagonist do well together, they can end up kissing. The protagonist can show interest in May, but it won't work out no matter what.
- Multiple Endings: The game offers four different endings to attain. Depending on what ending you receive, it may change the beginning portion of your next game.
- Murder by Inaction: The protagonist may feel this way if May dies. Technically, because the player can change the story's outcome, this is true. Not in real life, however.
- Perky Goth: For a supposed "goth gf", Amy seems rather perky herself.
- Self-Harm: There are two ways the player can witness another character's self-harm. If the player sees May's dead body, she can see all the cuts on May's arm. If the player talks to May, they can find the girl in a bathroom after cutting herself with scissors.
- Ship Tease: Plenty between the player character and Amy.
- Shout-Out: The player character has a Puella Magi Madoka Magica poster.
- Significant Anagram: Amy and May are an obvious and easy example.
- Story Branching: Depending on your choices, the game may sometimes lock you into a certain branch. Luckily, the game is short and you can replay it easily.
- The Voice: The player never gets to meet May's mother, but does overhear an argument between May and her mother through closed doors.
- Your Makeup Is Running: The protagonist and Amy discuss how expensive makeup can be ruined just by rain or crying.
