I’m learning about video games. I played one today that reminds me of the insides of my own head.

Conversations We Have In My Head by Squinky gives a talking-to-other-people rehearsal obsessive like myself a chance to try out a number of possible conversation branches between two characters, Quarky and Lex. Catching up with someone from your past after a decade of estrangement can be a tricky business in the best of times. I locked right into the subtle anxiety of trying to gage a person’s feelings while also keeping up a conversation.

The player selects from a few choices of things Lex can say in response to Quarky. You can also choose not to respond at all. I played several times and selected different combinations of responses each time. The conversation is short enough you can go through a few loops quickly, and each different response takes you down another conversational avenue. Some are confrontational, others are conciliatory. It was an interesting process to see which ones yielded more insights into what happened between the two characters.

The game is a tiny slice of experience that made me think about my own past relationships. Particularly those where there might be something left unfinished. I recommend giving it a try.