Otara

An adaptation of a childhood story that was told to me by my grandmother and mother. While this story is specific to my family, I’ve been told that many families in this region of Colombia have stories about interacting with brujas:

My great aunt, Martha, drew the ire of a bruja after she became enamored with Martha’s boyfriend, a local farm worker. The envious bruja told my great aunt to break up with her boyfriend so she could make him fall in love with her. My great aunt refused and the night after, loud noises started emanating from the darkness of her cieling. The door to her room locked and the bruja came down from above, attacking Martha.

Instead of adapting a straightforward translation that follows my great aunt Martha's experience, I've instead chosen to focus on the bruja's days prior to tell a story of the impossible situation that larger institutional forces place people in and how being caught between two sides can be worse than choosing one. Participants are asked to manage conflicting desires between Otara and other characters, shaping the trajectory of the story.

Play the game here

Credits

• Game built with Twine 2's Harlowe Format by Kevin Cadena
• Illustrations all made by Kevin Cadena using Aesprite
• Familial history and grounding told by Nidia Rincon and Claudia Rincon