Tell Me Why's Twin Protagonists Subvert the Unreliable Narrator Trope

gamerant.com:

Many Dontnod games aim to tackle real-life social issues in compelling ways, but for Tell Me Why the developer took full advantage of an unreliable narrator to obscure the truth. Though Dontnod is better known for Life is Strange, Tell Me Why is a fresh story told through the perspective of twins Tyler and Alyson as they unravel the truth behind their late mother and what drove her death. The twins recollect memories differently, creating an inherent «unreliable narrator» that pushes the player to determine who or what they believe.

Typically, unreliable narrators are the sole character an audience understands the story through, and it is through subtext that an audience can see what they think happened versus what actually happened. In Tell Me Why, it is never certain what actually happened, as the only two perspectives given are both unreliable. By the game's conclusion, it's arguable that the player is as involved in telling the story as the characters, subverting this classic trope.

Video Games That Feature Transgender Characters

The game starts by talking about Mary-Ann, the twins' mother, being killed. But this isn't shown as it's a young Tyler who confesses to the murder in self-defense. This teases some of Tell Me Why's core themes about uncertainty and belief given player can only take Tyler at his word. Over the course of Tell Me Why's story, it's gradually revealed that all might not be as it seems.

This evidence being unraveled also touches upon Tyler's transgender identity in a nuanced way. Tyler's perspective of his early childhood caused him to believe that Mary-Ann did not accept his identity, hinted at by scenes where she misgenders him. But when the twins discover a book titled «Raising Your Transgender