Teeth: A Visual Novel

THIS GAME IS LIFE CHANGING !!!

this game is so deep that i have to make you a breakdown of it so you can understand the complexity of it. At first glance, this game might seem like a humorous take on the mundane experience of a dentist’s appointment, but upon closer inspection, it reveals layers of deeper meaning. The choices presented are not mere distractions—they are reflections of the human condition and how modern society conditions individuals from a young age.

1. The Receptionist and the Illusion of Free Will

The receptionist introduces a key existential theme: the illusion of choice. When the player inputs their name, they are seemingly given autonomy. However, the subsequent dialogue humorously subverts this by acknowledging the name without altering the narrative. This subtly mirrors philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre's notion of "bad faith," where individuals believe they are acting freely but are actually constrained by societal norms (in this case, the game's pre-scripted paths).

Moreover, the receptionist's role is pivotal: they are the gatekeeper of reality, reinforcing the illusion of control. The player’s entrance into the waiting room—seemingly empty—echoes Sartre's idea of the "nothingness" that defines existence. The fish tank bubbles and fluorescent lights symbolize the empty distractions modern life offers to obscure the terrifying truth: we are alone, waiting for something (or someone) to guide us.

2. The Fish Tank: Symbol of Modern Alienation

Choosing to gaze at the fish offers a seemingly "calm" option, but the player’s aversion to the fish "sucking on the glass" suggests an underlying discomfort with the human condition. This simple observation parallels Marx's theory of alienation—particularly the alienation of individuals in capitalist societies. The fish represent the working class, trapped in the "glass box" of capitalism, while the player, as the detached observer, cannot help but judge their futile attempts to escape.

The player's inability to connect with these "glass-suckers" represents modern man's isolation from his labor and from nature. The aquarium becomes a microcosm of society—a closed system where both the player and the fish are stuck in cycles of meaninglessness. The “calm” skill acquired from this interaction could therefore be seen as a false calmness, the acceptance of alienation as a normal state.

3. The 1934 Boys' Magazine: Indoctrination and Historical Trauma

If the player chooses to read the old boys’ magazine, they are subjected to a bizarre transformation into a paranoid individual. This sequence isn’t merely a humorous take on old-timey fears—it's a commentary on the inherited traumas of past generations. The year 1934 is not arbitrary; it was a year of global instability, with the rise of totalitarian regimes and colonial exploitation still rampant. The magazine's stories of "cannibal islands" reflect colonial-era xenophobia and the Western portrayal of the "Other."

By reading this magazine, the player becomes a vessel for historical prejudices, symbolizing how propaganda and media shape the psyche across generations. The paranoia instilled in the player highlights how modern individuals continue to carry the anxieties of the past, subtly informing their worldviews and actions. The player is now “worse” not just because they read the magazine, but because they have inherited a worldview corrupted by fear and ignorance.

4. The iPad: The Death of Critical Thinking

The iPad choice seems like a humorous jab at modern technology, but it offers one of the game's darkest and most critical commentaries: the destruction of attention span and critical thinking in the digital age. The player, referred to as an "iPad kid," becomes a symbol of the infantilization of society through overconsumption of digital media. The poorly disguised fetish advertisements and content farms represent the collapse of intellectual stimulation into mindless consumption.

This echoes philosopher Theodor Adorno's critique of the culture industry, where mass media creates passive, docile consumers who no longer engage in critical thought. The "severe attention span deficiency" skill gained here is a condemnation of the damage done by overstimulation—society is producing individuals who can only process information at a surface level, trapped in a perpetual state of distraction.

5. The Dentist: Symbol of Authoritarian Control

The dentist, with his casual demeanor and insistence on performing a tooth extraction, represents a figure of authority who masks oppression with friendly paternalism. His repeated warnings not to "look at any of the other doors" is not just a humorous aside, but a reflection of how systems of power limit human curiosity and free will. By forbidding exploration, the dentist embodies the oppressive control that keeps individuals in line, mirroring Michel Foucault’s theories of discipline and punishment.

Furthermore, the dentist’s question about flossing is a satirical take on societal judgment. Regardless of the answer, the player is berated for their choices, illustrating the futility of attempting to meet arbitrary societal standards. The eventual tooth extraction becomes a metaphor for how society forces individuals to conform, removing a part of them in the process—whether they resist or submit.

6. The Three Endings: Existential Commentary

Each ending represents a different response to life’s struggles:

• The Calm Ending: Submitting to the dentist’s will reflects the existential concept of "bad faith"—the player avoids taking responsibility for their own life and lets external forces (the dentist) decide for them. Losing all their teeth symbolizes the loss of autonomy and identity.
• The Paranoid Ending: This is the "horror" ending, where the player rejects authority and attempts to flee. However, in doing so, they encounter something far worse: the maw. This dark entity represents the existential abyss, the terrifying unknown that awaits those who attempt to escape the bounds of society. The maw, made of teeth, symbolizes consumption—the consumption of identity, freedom, and ultimately life itself. The player disappears, consumed by their fear.
• The iPad Ending: The nonsensical ending where the player bites the dentist’s finger and runs down an endless hallway of hallucinations represents the futile rebellion of modern man. This is a nod to Albert Camus' absurdism, where the player, trapped in a digital haze, engages in a meaningless struggle that leads to nowhere. The "nothing ending" reflects the inherent meaninglessness of life when consumed by the digital world.

It's litteraly a Satirical Exploration of Modern Existence !!!

While the game presents itself as a lighthearted, absurd take on a dentist visit, it actually offers a biting satire of modern life. Through its humor, the game touches on themes of alienation, indoctrination, authoritarianism, and the destruction of individual thought by digital culture. The dentist’s office, much like the real world, is a place of discomfort, confusion, and ultimately submission to forces beyond our control.

In this sense, the game serves as a warning: in our attempts to escape the mundane, we may stumble upon darker truths, or worse, become products of a broken system. The ending screens, urging players to not seek any deeper meaning or continue playing, may ironically invite players to do exactly that—to confront the absurdity and laugh in the face of a world that demands obedience.

Or maybe... it’s just a game about getting your teeth pulled.