Paper Parlor: Small Impossible Things

About Paper Parlor: Small Impossible Things

Paper Parlor: Small Impossible Things is an illustrated interactive story about a toy theatre of painted card on the parlour table of a house you have just inherited. Its four puppets each remember a different play, and each has one small impossible thing going on. Madame Orsolya's shadow enters before she does. Fennick the Fox's tail leaves every room before he does. Lune the paper moon makes the painted sea rise whenever somebody tells the truth. And Ned the stagehand knows the stair under the stage that leads to a smaller theatre with its own audience of one. There are only three evenings before Saturday's show, so you can look into three of the four. In each you can lay two notes side by side to understand the strange thing, and then let it be, explain it away, or write it into the show. The puppets remember what you did with the others and say so, and Saturday's play is built from those three gestures. Six endings, two of them hidden. A new twist each session and a daily challenge keep it fresh. Nothing is timed against you, you can go back to an earlier choice, every line is announced to screen readers and the text goes up to Largest.

How to play

Press Go on or tap the text to continue, and tap a choice (or press 1 to 5) to answer. Z or the Back button returns to your last choice.
Each evening, choose which puppet's small impossible thing to look into. You have three evenings, so one puppet waits in the wings.
Notes you find go on the board (E, or the Notes button). Pick two to lay side by side; a pair that fits lets you write the strange thing into the show.
Let it be, explain it away, or write it in. The puppets remember your gestures, and Saturday's play is built from them.
Some choices open a quick-answer bonus window. It is only a small extra, and you lose nothing by taking your time. You can switch it off in Settings.
Change the text size with T or the Text button. Your story saves as you go, and Restart begins a new one with a new twist.

Controls

Tap the text, or press Enter, Space or Ⓐ — go on
Tap a choice, or press 1 to 5 — choose
Z, Backspace or Ⓑ — go back to the last choice
E or Ⓨ — notes board; L or Ⓧ — playbill so far; T — text size
P, Escape or Start — pause

Frequently asked questions

How long is a story?

About fifteen to thirty minutes. There are six endings, two of them hidden, so you will want to spend the evenings another way.

Why can I only look into three puppets?

There are three evenings before Saturday and four puppets. The one you leave out stays in the wings, and the play changes with who you chose and what you did for them.

Is anything timed?

No. One choice shows a quick-answer window for a small extra, but a slow answer loses nothing and never removes a choice. You can turn the window off in Settings.

Can I take a choice back?

Yes. Press Z or the Back button to return to your last choice with everything as it was, as often as you like.

Can I play with a keyboard or a screen reader?

Yes. Every line, choice and note is announced, every button works with the keyboard or a controller, the text size goes up to Largest, and reduced motion shows each line at once.

Does it save?

Yes, in this browser: the story you are in, the endings you have seen and your settings. Nothing is uploaded.